• Advances in Energy Research
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.219-226
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• 2017

Electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLCs) have received a tremendous interest due to their suitability for diverse applications. They have been fabricated using different carbon based electrodes including activated carbons, single walled/multi walled carbon nano tubes. But, graphite which is one of the natural resources in Sri Lanka has not been given a considerable attention towards using for EDLCs though it is a famous carbon material. On the other hand, EDLCs are well reported with various liquid electrolytes which are associated with numerous drawbacks. Gel polymer electrolytes (GPE) are well known alternative for liquid electrolytes. In this paper, it is reported about an EDLC fabricated with a nano composite polyethylene oxide based GPE and two Sri Lankan graphite based electrodes. The composition of the GPE was [{(10PEO: $NaClO_4$) molar ratio}: 75wt.% PC] : 5 wt.% $TiO_2$. GPE was prepared using the solvent casting method. Two graphite electrodes were prepared by mixing 85% graphite and 15% polyvinylidenefluoride (PVdF) in acetone and casting n fluorine doped tin oxide glass plates. GPE film was sandwiched in between the two graphite electrodes. A non faradaic charge discharge mechanism was observed from the Cyclic Voltammetry study. GPE was stable in the potential windows from (-0.8 V-0.8 V) to (-1.5 V-1.5 V). By increasing the width of the potential window, single electrode specific capacity increased. Impedance plots confirmed the capacitive behavior at low frequency region. Galvanostatic charge discharge test yielded an average discharge capacity of $0.60Fg^{-1}$.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.544-548
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• 2014

Aluminum nitride was synthesized using a carbothermal method from mesoporous alumina having a high surface area (> $1,000m^2/g$) as an aluminum source and CNTs (carbon nano tubes) as a carbon source. In this case the mesoporous alumina was used as the starting material instead of ${\alpha}-Al_2O_3$ with the expectation that the mesopores in mesoporous alumina act as channels for N2 gas and elimination of CO generated as by-product. It is also expected that the synthetic temperature should be lower compared to the use of ${\alpha}-Al_2O_3$ as a starting material due to its high surface area. The crystallinity of the produced aluminum nitride was studied by XRD and FT-IR, and the microstructure was investigated by FE-SEM. Also the purity of the aluminum nitride was analyzed through N/O determinator and ICP analysis.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.207-215
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• 2019

Application of nanotechnology can be used to tailor made cementitious composites owing to small dimension and physical behaviour of resulting hydration products. Because of high aspect ratio and extremely high strength, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are perfect reinforcing materials. Hence, there is a great prospect to use CNTs in developing new generation cementitious materials. In the present paper, a parametric study has been conducted on cementitious composites reinforced by two types of multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) designated as Type I CNT (10-20 nm outer dia.) and Type II CNT (30-50 nm outer dia.) with various concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 0.5% by weight of cement. To evaluate important properties such as flexural strength, strain to failure, elastic modulus and modulus of toughness of the CNT admixed specimens at different curing periods, flexural bending tests were performed. Results show that composites with Type II CNTs gave more strength as compared to Type I CNTs. The highest increase in strength (flexural and compressive) is of the order of 22% and 33%, respectively, compared to control samples. Modulus of toughness at 28 days showed highest improvement of 265% for Type II 0.3% CNT composites. It is obvious that an optimum percentage of CNT could exists for composites to achieve suitable reinforcement behaviour and desired strength properties. Based on the parametric study, a tentative optimum CNT concentration (0.3% by weight of cement) has been proposed. Scanning electron microscope image shows perfect crack bridging mechanism; several of the CNTs were shown to act as crack arrestors across fine cracks along with some CNTs breakage.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.89-97
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• 2013

The study of grinding behavior characteristics on aluminum powders and carbon nano tubes (CNTs) has recently gained scientific interest due to their useful effect in enhancing advanced nano materials and components, which significantly improves the property of new mechatronics integrated materials and components. We performed a series of dry grinding experiments using a planetary ball mill to systematically investigate the grinding behavior during Al/CNTs nano composite fabrication. This study focused on a comparative study of the various experimental conditions at several variations of rotation speeds, grinding time and with and without CNTs. The results were monitored for the particle size distribution, median diameter, crystal structure from XRD pattern and particle morphology at a given grinding time. It was observed that pure aluminum powders agglomerated with low rotation speed and completely enhanced powder agglomeration. However, Al/CNTs composites were achieved at maximum experiment conditions (350 rpm, 60 min.) of this study by a mechanical alloy process for Al/CNTs mixed powders because the grinding behavior of Al/CNTs composite powder was affected by addition of CNTs. Indeed, the powder morphology and crystal size of the composite powders changed more by an increase of grinding time and rotation speed.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.07b
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• pp.1470-1473
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• 2005

We proposed new triode-type Field Emitter Arays using Carbon NanoTubes(CNT-FEAs) as electron emission sources at low electric fields. The CNTs were selectively grown on the patterned catalyst layer by Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD). In this structure, gate electrodes are located underneath the cathode electrodes and extracted gate is surrounded by CNT emitters. Furthermore, in order to control density of CNTs, we investigated effect of using rapid thermal annealing (RTA).

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.143-147
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• 2008

Super-hydrophobic surfaces showed that contact angle of water was higher than 140 degrees. That surface could be made several methods such as Carbon nano tubes grown vertically, PDMS asperities arrays, hydrophobic fractal surfaces, and self assembled monolayers coated by CVD and so on. However, we fabricated super-hydrophobic surfaces with plasma treatments which were very cost efficient processes. Their surfaces were characterized by static contact angles, advancing, receding, and stability against UV irradiation. Optimal surfaces showed static contact angles were higher than 150 degrees. Super-hydrophobic property was remained after UV irradiation for one week.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2020.11a
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• pp.149-150
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• 2020

Granting self-sensing performance in a building is an important performance to ensure the degree of damage and safety of the building. Since the current research is being conducted in the state before deterioration loss occurs, it is necessary to confirm whether the self-sensing performance is maintained even in the damaged conductive cement composite. As part of the study, electrical resistance characteristics were analyzed in conductive cement composites in which freeze-thawing and chemical corrosion occurred. As a result, it was found that the change in electrical resistance value due to freeze-thawing was not as large as 1%, and chemical corrosion occurred. It was found that the change in electrical resistance value of the tested specimen increased by about 10%.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.307-322
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• 2020

In this article, free vibration of double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNT) based on nonlocal Kelvin's model have been investigated. For this purpose, a nonlocal Kelvin's model is established to observe the small scale effect. The wave propagation is employed to frame the governing equations as eigenvalue system. The influence of nonlocal parameter subjected to different end supports has been overtly examined. The new set of inner and outer tubes radii investigated in detail against aspect ratio. The influence of boundary conditions via nonlocal parameter is shown graphically. Due to small scale effect fundamental frequency ratio decreases as length to diameter ratio increases. Small scale effect becomes negligible on all end supports for the higher values of aspect ratio. With the smaller inner tube radius double-walled CNT behaves more sensitive towards nonlocal parameter. The results generated furnish the evidence regarding applicability of nonlocal model and also verified by earlier published literature.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.431-442
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• 2019

Vibration analysis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is very essential field owing to their many promising applications in tiny instruments. In current study, the Eringen's nonlocal elasticity theory with clamped-clamped and clamped-free end conditions is utilized for the vibration analysis of armchair and zigzag SWCNTs. The Fourier method is utilized to solve the ordinary differential equation. The motion equation for this system is developed using a novel wave propagation method. Complex exponential functions have been used and the axial model depends on BCs that has been described at the edges of CNTs. The behavior of different nonlocal parameters is considered to find the vibrational frequency of SWCNTs. It is exhibited that the effect of frequencies against aspect ratio by varying the bending rigidity. It has been investigated that by increasing the nonlocal parameter decreases the frequencies and on increasing the aspect ratio increases the frequencies for both the tubes. To generate the fundamental natural frequencies of SWCNTs, computer software MATLAB engaged. The numerical results are validated with existing open text. Since the percentage of error is negligible, the model has been concluded as valid.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.421-421
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• 2009

Since carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are discovered, tremendous attentions have been paid to these materials due to their unique mechanical, electrical and chemical properties. Thereupon, many methods to produce a large scale of CNTs have been contrived by many scientists and engineers. Thus the examination of growth mechanisms of CNTs, which is essential to produce CNTs in large scale, has been an attractive issue. Though many scientists have been strived to investigate and understand the growth mechanisms of CNTs, many of them still remain controversial or unclear. Here we introduce representative growth mechanisms of CNTs, based on broadly employed fabrication methods of CNTs. We applied Thermo-electrical Pulse Induced Evaporation (TPIE) method based on field and thermal evaporation to synthesis of CNTs. However TPIE method was originally devised to fabricate graphene sheets and $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5$ nanostructures. While performing TPIE experiments to synthesize graphene, we eventually found experimental results widely supporting the growth model of CNTs proposed already. We observed the procedure of growth of CNTs obtained by TPIE method through Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). We believe this study provides an experimental basis on understanding and investigating carbon-based nanomaterials.