• Carbon letters
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.94-98
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• 2013

Isotropic pitch fibers were stabilized and carbonized for preparing carbon fibers. To optimize the duration and temperature during the stabilization process, a thermogravimetric analysis was conducted. Stabilized fibers were carbonized at 1000, 1500, and $2000^{\circ}C$ in a furnace under a nitrogen atmosphere. An elemental analysis confirmed that the carbon content increased with an increase in the carbonization temperature. Although short graphitic-like layers were observed with carbon fibers heat-treated at 1500 and $2000^{\circ}C$, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction revealed no significant effect of the carbonization temperature on the crystalline structure of the carbon fibers, indicating the limit of developing an ordered structure of isotropic pitch-based carbon fibers. The electrical conductivity of the carbonized fiber reached $3.9{\times}10^4$ S/m with the carbonization temperature increasing to $2000^{\circ}C$ using a four-point method.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.27-30
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• 2004

Carbon nanotube reinforced alumina matrix nanocomposite was fabricated by sol-gel process and followed by spark plasma sintering process. Homogeneous distribution of carbon nanotubes within alumina matrix can be obtained by mixing the carbon nanotubes with alumina sol and followed by condensation into gel. The mixed gel, consisting of alumina and carbon nanotubes, was dried and calcinated into carbon nanotube/alumina composite powders. The composite powders were spark plasma sintered into carbon nanotube reinforced alumina matrix nanocomposite. The hardness of carbon nanotube reinforced alumina matrix nanocomposite was enhanced due to an enhanced load sharing of homogeneously distributed carbon nanotubes. At the same time, the fracture toughness of carbon nanotube reinforced alumina matrix nanocomposite was enhanced due to a bridging effect of carbon nanotubes during crack propagation.

• Carbon letters
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.192-197
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• 2002

Microstructure plays an important role in controlling the fracture behaviour of carbon-carbon composites and hence their mechanical properties. In the present study effort was made to understand how the different interfaces (fiber/matrix interactions) influence the development of microstructure of the matrix as well as that of carbon fibers as the heat treatment temperature of the carbon-carbon composites is raised. Three different grades of PAN based carbon fibres were selected to offer different surface characteristics. It is observed that in case of high-strength carbon fiber based carbon-carbon composites, not only the matrix microstructure is different but the texture of carbon fiber changes from isotropic to anisotropic after HTT to $2600^{\circ}C$. However, in case of intermediate and high modulus carbon fiber based carbon-carbon composites, the carbon fiber texture remains nearly isotropic at $2600^{\circ}C$ because of relatively weak fiber-matrix interactions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.25-28
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• 2003

Carbon nanotubes(CNTs), since their first discovery, have been considered as new promising materials in various fields of applications including field emission displays, memory devices, electrodes, NEMS constituents, hydrogen storages and reinforcements in composites due to their extra-ordinary properties. The carbon nanotube reinforced nanocomposites have attracted attention owing to their outstanding mechanical and electrical properties and are expected to overcome the limit of conventional materials. Various application areas are possible for carbon nanotube reinforced nanocomposites through the functionalization of carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotube reinforced polymer matrix nanocomposites have been fabricated by liquid phase process including surface functionalization and dispersion of CNTs within organic solvent. In case of carbon nanotube reinforced polymer matrix nanocomposites, the mechanical strength and electrical conducting can be improved by more than an order of magnitude. The carbon nanotube reinforced polymer matrix nanocomposites can be applied to high strength polymers, conductive polymers, optical limiters and EMI materials. In spite of successful development of carbon nanotube reinforced polymer matrix nanocomposites, the researches on carbon nanotube reinforced inorganic matrix nanocomposites show limitations due to a difficulty in homogeneous distribution of carbon nanotubes within inorganic matrix. Therefore, the enhancement of carbon nanotube reinforced inorganic nanocomposites is under investigation to maximize the excellent properties of carbon nanotubes. To overcome the current limitations, novel processes, including intensive milling process, sol-gel process, in-situ process and spark plasma sintering of nanocomposite powders are being investigated. In this presentation, current research status on carbon nanotube reinforced nanocomposites with various matrices are reviewed.

• Carbon letters
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.117-120
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• 2003

Asbestos is being replaced throughout the world among friction materials because of its carcinogenic nature. This has raised an important issue of heat dissipation in the non-asbestos brake pad materials being developed for automobiles etc. It has been found that two of the components i.e. carbon fibres as reinforcement and graphite powder as friction modifier, in the brake pad material, can playa vital role in this direction. The study reports the influence of these modifications on the thermal properties like coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and thermal conductivity along with the mechanical properties of nonasbestos brake pad composite samples developed in the laboratory.

• Carbon letters
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.108-114
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• 2008

We have demonstrated the feasibility of using electrospinning method to fabricate long and continuous composite nanofiber sheets of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) incorporated with zinc oxide (ZnO). Such PAN/ZnO composite nanofiber sheets represent an important step toward utilizing carbon nanofibers (CNFs) as materials to achieve remarkably enhanced physico-chemical properties. In an attempt to derive these advantages, we have used a variety of techniques such as field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD) to obtain quantitative data on the materials. The CNFs produced are in the diameter range of 100 to 350 nm after carbonization at $1000^{\circ}C$. Electrical conductivity of the random CNFs was increased by increasing the concentration of ZnO. A dramatic improvement in porosity and specific surface area of the CNFs was a clear evidence of the novelty of the method used. This study indicated that the optimal ZnO concentration of 3 wt% is enough to produce CNFs having enhanced electrical and physico-chemical properties.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.187-195
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• 2003

The present article is concerned with the overview of carbonaceous materials used as anode materials for lithium ion secondary batteries. This article first classified carbonaceous materials into graphite, soft carbon and hard carbon according to their crystal structures, and then summarised the previous works on the characteristics of lithium intercalation/deintercalation into/from the carbonaceous materials. Finally this article reviewed our recent research works on the mechanism of lithium transport through graphite, soft carbon and hard carbon electrodes from the kinetic view point by the analysis of the theoretical and experimental potentiostatic current transients.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.111-131
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• 2024

Lignin-derived porous carbon has been identified as a versatile electrode material for supercapacitors (SCs) in energy storage systems (ESSs) owing to their intrinsic advantages including good electrical conductivity, low cost, high thermal and chemical stability, and high porosity, which stem from high surface, appropriate pore distribution, tailored morphologies, heterostructures, and diverse derivates. In this review, to provide a fundamental understanding of the properties of lignin, we first summarize the origin, historical development, and basic physicochemical properties. Next, we describe essential strategies for the preparation of lignin-derived porous carbon electrode materials and then highlight the latest advances in the utilization of lignin-derived porous carbon materials as advanced electrode materials. Finally, we provide some of our own insights into the major challenges and prospective research directions of lignin-derived porous carbon materials for supercapacitors. We believe that this review will provide general guidance for the design of next-generation electrode materials for supercapacitors.

• Carbon letters
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• v.2 no.3_4
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• pp.165-169
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• 2001

Modification of C/C composite bipolar plate for improving electrical conductivity was carried out by addition of electroconductive carbon black (EC-CB). Carbon black was carefully mixed to methanol-containing phenolic resin, impregnated into 2D-carbon fabrics, hot pressed and then carbonized to obtain composite plate. Inclusion of electro-conductive carbon black enhanced the electrical conductivity of the C/C composites by increasing the conduction path. Addition of 10 vol% carbon black increased the electrical conductivity from 5.5/${\Omega}cm$ to 32/${\Omega}cm$ and reduced the crack formation by filling effect, resulting in the increase of flexural properties of composite plate. However, at carbon black content over 10 vol%, flexural properties decreased by delaminating role of excess carbon black at the interface in C/C composites.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.204-209
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• 2010

Recent high efficiency electronic devices have been found to have heat emission problems. As for LEDs, an excessive increase in the device temperature causes a drop of the luminous efficiency and circuit lifetime. Therefore, heat release in the limited space of such electronic parts is very important. This is a study of the possibility of using a coating of carbon materials as a solution for the thermal emission problem of electronic devices. Powdered carbon materials, cokes, carbon blacks, amorphous graphite, and natural flakes were coated with an organic binder on an aluminum sheet and the subsequent thermal emissivity was measured with an FT-IR spectrometer and was found to be in the range of $5{\sim}20\;{\mu}m$ at $50^{\circ}C$. The emissivity of the carbon materials coated on the aluminum sheet was shown to be over 0.8 and varied according to carbon type. The maximum thermal emissivity on the carbon black coated-aluminum surface was shown to be 0.877. The emissivity of the anodized aluminum sheets that were used as heat releasing materials of the electronic parts was reported to be in the range of 0.7~0.8. Therefore, the use of a coating of carbon material can be a potential solution that facillitates heat dissipation for electronic parts.