• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.533-539
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• 2013

Recently, Ionic Polymer Metal Composite (IPMC) systems receive great attention in the fields of the medical and biomedical Engineering because of several merits in terms of new actuators and sensors and fuel cell materials. When the voltage is excited to IPMC system, it moves. Conversely, if there are any movement on the IPMC, the IPMC has charge voltage by the internal properties. Therefore the IPMC can be used as a motion sensor or force sensor. In this paper, we identify characteristics of the IPMC and control its movements from remote locations by the smart-phone system based on visual information for monitoring. Additionally, control of movements of the IPMC is realized by transmit motion commands using the smart-phone system with the blue-tooth communication. Unfortunately, there are some deficiencies to perfectly attain physical properties of the IPMC systems from our experiments in this paper. However, in its utilization point of view, we demonstrate that the IPMC has some potentials as new sensors, actuators, and fuel cells.

• Composites Research
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.357-372
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• 2021

The energy harvesting device is known to be promising as an alternative to solve the resource shortage caused by the depletion of petroleum resources. In order to overcome the limitations (environmental pollution and low mechanical properties) of piezoelectric elements capable of converting mechanical motion into electrical energy, many studies have been conducted on a polymer matrix-based composite piezoelectric energy harvesting device. In this paper, the output performance and related applications of the reported piezoelectric composites are reviewed based on the applied materials and processes. As for the piezoelectric fillers, zinc oxide, which is advantageous in terms of eco-friendliness, biocompatibility, and flexibility, as well as ceramic fillers based on lead zirconate titanate and barium titanate, were reviewed. The polymer matrix was classified into piezoelectric polymers composed of polyvinylidene fluoride and copolymers, and flexible polymers based on epoxy and polydimethylsiloxane, to discuss piezoelectric synergy of composite materials and improvement of piezoelectric output by high external force application, respectively. In addition, the effect of improving the conductivity or the mechanical properties of composite material by the application of a metal or carbon-based secondary filler on the output performance of the piezoelectric harvesting device was explained in terms of the structure of the composite material. Composite material-based piezoelectric harvesting devices, which can be applied to small electronic devices, smart sensors, and medicine with improved performance, can provide potential insights as a power source for wireless electronic devices expected to be encountered in future daily life.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.23.1-23.9
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• 2019

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the microshear bond strength (${\mu}SBS$) of different universal adhesive systems applied to hybrid computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) restorative materials repaired with a composite resin. Materials and Methods: Four types of CAD-CAM hybrid block materials-Lava Ultimate (LA), Vita Enamic (VE), CeraSmart (CS), and Shofu Block HC (SH)-were used in this study, in combination with the following four adhesive protocols: 1) control: porcelain primer + total etch adhesive (CO), 2) Single Bond Universal (SB), 3) All Bond Universal (AB), and 4) Clearfil Universal Bond (CU). The ${\mu}SBS$ of the composite resin (Clearfil Majesty Esthetic) was measured and the data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance and the Tukey test, with the level of significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The CAD-CAM block type and block-adhesive combination had significant effects on the bond strength values (p < 0.05). Significant differences were found between the following pairs of groups: VE/CO and VE/AB, CS/CO and CS/AB, VE/CU and CS/CU, and VE/AB and CS/AB (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The ${\mu}SBS$ values were affected by hybrid block type. All tested universal adhesive treatments can be used as an alternative to the control treatment for repair, except the AB system on VE blocks (the VE/AB group). The ${\mu}SBS$ values showed variation across different adhesive treatments on different hybrid CAD-CAM block types.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.264-269
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• 2023

Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are a ubiquitous byproduct of coffee consumption, representing a significant waste management challenge, as well as an untapped resource for economic development and sustainability. Improper disposal of SCG can result in environmental problems such as methane emissions and leachate production. This study aims to investigate the physicochemical properties of SCG and their potential as a reinforcement material in polypropylene (PP) to fabricate an eco-friendly composite via extrusion and injection molding, with SCG filler ratios ranging from 5-20%. To evaluate the effect of SCG on the morphological and mechanical properties of the bio- composite, thermogravimetric analysis, SEM, tensile, flexural, and impact tests were conducted. The results demonstrated that the addition of SCG lead to a slight increase in brittleness of the composite but did not significantly affect its mechanical properties. Impressively, the presence of a significant organic component in SCG contributed to the enhanced thermal performance of PP/SCG composites. This improvement was evident in terms of increased thermal stability, delayed onset of degradation, and higher maximum degradation temperature as compared to pure PP. These findings suggest that SCG has potential as a filler material for PP composites, with the ability to enhance the material's properties without compromising overall performance.

• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.134-138
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• 2022

In this study, Ti powder/Polymer concrete composites were processed by adding the PZT powder, one of the piezoelectric materials, to improve the vibration damping effect of Polymer concrete. Ti powder was added at a constant ratio in order to maximize the vibration damping effect using the piezoelectric effect. Three types of composite material specimens were prepared: a specimen without PZT powder, specimens with 2.5 wt% and 5 wt% of PZT powder. The vibration characteristics and compression properties were analyzed for all specimens. As a result, it was confirmed that as the addition ratio of PZT powder increased, the Inertance value at the resonant frequency decreased due to the piezoelectric effect when the vibration generated from Ti powder/polymer concrete was transmitted. Especially, the Inertance value was decreased by about 19.3% compared to the specimen without PZT at the resonant frequency. The change in acceleration with time also significantly decreased as PZT powder was added, confirming the effect of PZT addition. In addition, through the compression strength test, it was found that the degree of deterioration in compression properties due to the addition of PZT up to 5 wt% was insignificant, and it was confirmed that the powder was evenly dispersed in the composites through the cross-sectional analysis of the specimen.

• Journal of KSNVE
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.1093-1102
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• 1998

The success of controllability of smart structures depends on the quality of the bonding along the interface between the main structure and the attached sensing and acuating elements. Generally, the analysis procedures neglect the effect of the interfacial bond layer or assume that this bond layer behaves like viscoelastic material. Three different bond layers. two modified epoxy adhesives, and one isocyanate adhesive were prepared for their toughness and moduli. Bond layer of the chosen adhesive provides an almost perfect bonding condition between the composite structure and the PZT while bended significantly like arrow-shape. The perfect bonding condition is tested by considering various material properties of the bond layers. and based on this perfect bonding condition, the effects of the interfacial bond layer on the dynamic behavior and controllability of the test structure is experimentally studied. Once the perfect bonding condition is achieved. dynamic effects of the bond layer itself on the dynamic characteristics of the main structure is negligible. but the contribution of the attached PZT elements on the stiffness of the multi-layered structure becomes significant when the thickness of the bond layer increased.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.103-116
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• 2011

This paper is concerned with the trajectory tracking and vibration suppression of a single-link flexible arm by using piezoelectric materials. The dynamics of a single flexible arm with PZT patches as sensor and actuator is derived using extended Hamilton's principle. Resulting equations show that the coupled beam dynamics including beam vibration and its rigid in-plane rotation takes place in two different time scales. By using singular perturbation theory, the system dynamics is divided into two subsystems. Then, a composite control scheme is elaborated that makes the orientation of the arm track a desired trajectory while suppressing its vibration. The proposed controller has two parts: one is a tracking controller designed for the slow (rigid) subsystem, and the other one is a stabilizing controller for the fast (flexible) subsystem. The outputs considered for the system are angular position of the hub and voltage of the sensor mounted on the structure. To avoid requiring further measurements of beam vibration and also angular velocity of the hub for the fast and slow control laws, respectively, two sliding mode observers for estimating the unknown states are also designed.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.76-81
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• 2011

Recently, the structural failures due to fatigue occur frequently with the increase of size of ships and offshore structures. In this respect, the assessment of fatigue life and the residual strength are very important. Currently, the smart materials technology has demonstrated a variety of possibilities for a diagnosis of structural strength and structural health condition for large structures. The benefits and feature of the MFC sensor are more flexible, durable and reliable than conventional smart material. In this study, Micro Fiber Composite (MFC) sensor for the measurement of stress intensity factor (SIF) of two dimensional cracks induced in a structure is developed. Two MFC sensors are placed in the vicinity of the crack tip close to each other with the crack tip in between them. The SIFs of Mode I($K_I$) as well as of Mode II($K_{II}$) based on the piezoelectric constitutive law and fracture mechanics are calculated. In this study, the SIF values measured by MFC sensors are compared with the theoretical results and measured value.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.501-515
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• 2014

This paper presents a linear computational homogenization framework to evaluate the effective (or generalized) electromechanical coupling coefficient (EMCC) of adaptive structures with piezoelectric structural fiber (PSF) composite elements. The PSF consists of a silicon carbide (SiC) or carbon core fiber as reinforcement to a fragile piezo-ceramic shell. For the micro-scale analysis, a micromechanics model based on the variational asymptotic method for unit cell homogenization (VAMUCH) is used to evaluate the overall electromechanical properties of the PSF composites. At the macro-scale, a finite element (FE) analysis with the commercial FE code ABAQUS is performed to evaluate the effective EMCC for structures with the PSF composite patches. The EMCC is postprocessed from free-vibrations analysis under short-circuit (SC) and open-circuit (OC) electrodes of the patches. This linear two-scale computational framework may be useful for the optimal design of active structure multi-functional composites which can be used for multi-functional applications such as structural health monitoring, power harvest, vibration sensing and control, damping, and shape control through anisotropic actuation.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.188-198
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• 2010

The term 'shape memory polymers (SMPs)' describes a class of polymers which can remember the original shape and recover from deformed to its original shape by the applied stimuli, e.g., heat, electricity, magnetic field, light, etc. SMPs are classified as one of the 'smart polymers' and have great potentials as high-value-added materials. Especially, low thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties of SMPs can be improved by incorporating the various fillers. This paper aims to review the SMPs and their basic principles, and the trends of the development of SMPs nanocomposites.