CCD photometric observations of the globular cluster (GC), M53 (NGC 5024), are performed using the 1.8 m telescope at the Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory in Korea on the same nights (2002 April and 2003 May) as the observations of the GC M92 (NGC 6341) reported by Cho and Lee using the same instrumental setup. The data for M53 is reduced using the same method as used for M92 by Cho and Lee, including preprocessing, point-spread function fitting photometry, and standardization etc. Therefore, M53 and M92 are on the same photometric system defined by Landolt, and the photometry of M53 and M92 is tied together as closely as possible. After complete photometric reduction, the V versus B − V , V versus V − I, and V versus B − I color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of M53 are produced to derive the relative ages of M53 and M92 and derive the various characteristics of its CMDs in future analysis. From the present analysis, the relative ages of M53 and M92 are derived using the
(B − V ) method reported by VandenBerg et al. The relative age of M53 is found to be 1.6 ± 0.85 Gyr younger than that of M92 if the absolute age of M92 is taken to be 14 Gyr. This relative age difference between M53 and M92 causes slight differences in the horizontal-branch morphology of these two GCs.

A search for hot and bright white dwarfs (WDs) in the Milky Way globular clusters M13 (NGC 6205) and M22 (NGC 6656) is carried out using the deep and homogeneous V I photometric catalog of Anderson et al. and and Sarajedini et al., based on data taken with the ACS/WFC aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). V versus V − I color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of M13 and M22 are constructed and numerous spurious detections are rejected according to their photometric quality parameters qfit(V ) and qfit(I). In the case of M13, further radial restriction is applied to reject central stars with higher photometric errors due to central crowding. From each resultant V versus V −I CMD, sixteen and thirteen WD candidates are identified in M13 and M22, respectively. They are identified as stellar objects in the accompanying ACS/WFC images and are found to be randomly distributed across the central regions of M13 and M22. Their positions in the CMDs are in the bright part of the DA WD cooling sequences indicating that they are true WDs. In order to confirm their nature, follow-up spectroscopic observations are needed.

A search for luminous white dwarfs (WDs) in several nearby Galactic globular clusters (GCs) was carried out using the deep and homogeneous photometric catalog of Galactic GCs taken with the ACS/WFC aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) by Sarajedini et al. and Anderson et al.. It resulted in the identification of luminous WD candidates in the GCs M13 (NGC 6205) and M22 (NGC 6656). The purpose of the present study is to identify luminous WDs in the deep and homogeneous V versus V - I color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of several nearby Galactic GCs taken with the ACS/WFC aboard the HST. Using photometric data for the GCs M13 and M22 that are now in the public domain, the V versus V - I CMDs of the GCs M13 and M22 were constructed. Many spurious detections in the CMDs were removed using the photometric quality parameters qfit(V ) and qfit(I), and a radial restriction was applied to the CMDs to remove the central stars with higher photometric errors due to central crowding. From each resultant V versus V - I CMD of the GCs M13 and M22, a dozen or so luminous WD candidates were identified. They were confirmed as stellar objects in the accompanying ACS/WFC images and their positions in the CMDs were in the bright part of the DA WD cooling curve. Therefore, the luminous WD candidates in the GCs M13 and M22 seem to be true luminous WDs, and spectroscopic observations are needed to confirm their true identity.

In the present work, exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (EGN) of 1 μm in average particle size, which were prepared by heating at 900℃ and then subjected to ultrasonic, ball-milling, and vibratory ball-milling techniques, were uniformly incorporated into phenylethynyl-terminated polyimide (PETI-5) resin. The fracture surface morphology and the electrical resistivity of the EGN/PETI-5 composites were investigated. The results showed that the fracture surfaces and the electrical resistivity strongly depended on the EGN content. The fracture surfaces became more ductile and roughened with increasing EGN and the electrical resistivity was gradually decreased with increased EGN loading, indicating the percolation threshold at 5 wt% EGN.

In this present work, the effect of additional heat-treatment (AHT) in the range from 1800℃ to 2400℃ on the chemical composition, morphology, microstructure, tensile properties, electrical resistivity, and thermal stability of commercial polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers was explored by means of elemental analysis, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, single fiber tensile testing, two-probe electrical resistivity testing, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The characterization results were in agreement with each other. The results clearly demonstrated that AHTs up to 2400℃ played a significant role in further contributing not only to the enhancement of carbon content, fiber morphology, and tensile modulus, but also to the reduction of fiber diameter, inter-graphene layer distance, and electrical resistivity of "as-received" carbon fibers without AHT. The present study suggests that key properties of commercial PAN-based carbon fibers of an intermediate grade can be further improved by proprietarily adding heat-treatment without applying tension in a batch process.

We discuss the influence of few-walled carbon nanotubes (FWCNTs) treated with nitric acid and/or sulfuric acid on field emission characteristics. FWCNTs/tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) thin film field emitters were fabricated by a spray method using FWCNTs/TEOS sol one-component solution onto indium tin oxide (ITO) glass. After thermal curing, they were found tightly adhered to the ITO glass, and after an activation process by a taping method, numerous FWCNTs were aligned preferentially in the vertical direction. Pristine FWCNT/TEOS-based field emitters revealed higher current density, lower turn-on field, and a higher field enhancement factor than the oxidized FWCNTs-based field emitters. However, the unstable dispersion of pristine FWCNT in TEOS/N,N-dimethylformamide solution was not applicable to the field emitter fabrication using a spray method. Although the field emitter of nitric acid-treated FWCNT showed slightly lower field emission characteristics, this could be improved by the introduction of metal nanoparticles or resistive layer coating. Thus, we can conclude that our spray method using nitric acid-treated FWCNT could be useful for fabricating a field emitter and offers several advantages compared to previously reported techniques such as chemical vapor deposition and screen printing.

Kenaf fibers, cellulose-based natural fibers, were used as precursor for preparing kenafbased carbon fibers. The effects of carbonization temperature (700℃ to 1100℃) and chemical pre-treatment (NaOH and NH4Cl) at various concentrations on the thermal change, chemical composition and fiber morphology of kenaf-based carbon fibers were investigated. Remarkable weight loss and longitudinal shrinkage were found to occur during the thermal conversion from kenaf precursor to kenaf-based carbon fiber, depending on the carbonization temperature. It was noted that the alkali pre-treatment of kenaf with NaOH played a role in reducing the weight loss and the longitudinal shrinkage and also in increasing the carbon content of kenaf-based carbon fibers. The number and size of the cells and the fiber diameter were reduced with increasing carbonization temperature. Morphological observations implied that the micrometer-sized cells were combined or fused and then re-organized with the neighboring cells during the carbonization process. By the pre-treatment of kenaf with 10 and 15 wt% NaOH solutions and the subsequent carbonization process, the inner cells completely disappeared through the transverse direction of the kenaf fiber, resulting in the fiber densification. It was noticeable that the alkali pre-treatment of the kenaf fibers prior to carbonization contributed to the forming of kenaf-based carbon fibers.

Novel unsaturated polyester composites with PAN-based nanofiber, stabilized PAN nanofiber, and carbonized nanofiber webs have been fabricated, respectively, and the effects of the nanofiber web content on their electrical resistivity, the thermal stability, dynamic storage modulus, and fracture surfaces were studied. The result demonstrated that the introduction of just one single layer (which is corresponding to 2 wt.%) of the carbonized nanofiber web to unsaturated polyester resin (UPE) could contribute to reducing markedly the electrical resistivity of the resin reflecting the percolation threshold, to improving the storage modulus, and to increasing the thermal stability above 350℃. The effect on decreasing the resistivity and increasing the modulus was the greatest at the carbonized PAN nanofiber web content of 8 wt.%, particularly showing that the storage modulus was increased about 257~283% in the measuring temperature range of -25℃ to 50℃. The result also exhibited that the carbonized PAN nanofibers were distributed uniformly and compactly in the unsaturated polyester, connecting the matrix three-dimensionally through the thickness direction of each specimen. It seemed that such the fiber distribution played a role in reducing the electrical resistivity as well as in improving the dynamic storage modulus.

In the present study, fast isothermal stabilization processes for rayon precursor fabrics were performed at 350℃ and 400℃ within 3 minutes and the chemical and physical characteristics of the stabilized fabrics were investigated. In addition, rayon precursor fabrics were pre-treated with three different phosphorous-based flame retardants and then stabilized. The effect of flame retardants on the chemical composition, thermal shrinkage, weight change, thermal stability and XRD results was examined, comparing with those of the precursor fabrics. The result showed that the stabilization of rayon fabrics was most effective as the stabilization temperature was 350℃, the stabilization time was 3 min, and the pre-treatment with phosphoric acid of 1 vol%. The carbon contents of stabilized rayon fabrics were increased with increasing stabilization temperature and time, whereas the oxygen contents were decreased. Also, it is likely that the pre-treatment with phosphoric acid plays a role in retarding the change of chemical structure of rayon fabric. The XRD result was quite consistent with the result showing the effect of phosphoric acid on the chemical composition, thermal shrinkage and weight reduction of rayon fabric.

In the present study, electrospun PAN precursor webs and the stabilized and carbonized nanofiber webs processed under different heat-treatment conditions were characterized by means of weight loss measurement, elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimentric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The result indicated that stabilization and carbonization processes with different temperatures and heating rates significantly influenced the chemical and morphological characteristics as well as the thermal properties of the stabilized and then subsequently carbonized nanofiber webs from PAN precursor webs. It was noted that the filament diameter and the carbon content of a carbonized nanofiber web as well as its weight change may be effectively monitored by controlling both stabilization and carbonization processes.

A method for evaluating bulk sensitive structural characteristics of unpurified, as-purified, and acid treated single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) was described in the present study. The optical spectra of SWNT solutions were well resolved after prolonged sonication and they were correlated to the diameter and the distribution of nanotubes. The acid-treated SWNTs were similar to as-purified SWNTs in terms of catalyst residue, radial breathing mode (RBM) in the Raman spectra, and the first band gap energy of semiconducting tubes in the optical spectra. The solution phase optical spectra were more sensitive to changes in the small diameter and metallic tubes after the acid treatment than were the RBM spectra.

In this study, commercially available pitch-based carbon fibers of general grade were post-heat-treated using a boxtype high temperature furnace at 1800℃, 2000˚, 2200℃, and 2400℃, respectively. The fundamental characteristics of each heat-treated carbon fibers were investigated in terms of chemical composition, morphology, thermal stability, X-ray diffraction, single filament tensile test, and electrical resistivity. The result showed that the fiber properties were significantly influenced by the post-heat-treatment, indicating the greater effect with increasing treatment temperature. The carbon contents, thermal stability, and tensile properties of the carbon fibers used here were further increased by the post-heat-treatment, whereas the d-spacing between graphene layers and the electrical resistivity were reduced with increasing post-heat-treatment temperature.

The effects of fiber surface-treatment and sizing on the dynamic mechanical properties of unidirectional and 2-directional carbon fiber/nylon 6 composites by means of dynamic mechanical analysis have been investigated in the present study. The interlaminar shear strengths of 2-directional carbon/nylon 6 composites sized with various thermosetting and thermoplastic resins are also measured using a short-beam shear test method. The result suggests that different surface-treatment levels onto carbon fibers may influence the storage modulus and tan δ behavior of carbon/nylon 6 composites, reflecting somewhat change of the stiffness and the interfacial adhesion of the composites. Dynamic mechanical analysis and short-beam shear test results indicate that appropriate use of a sizing material upon carbon fiber composite processing may contribute to enhancing the interfacial and/or interlaminar properties of woven carbon fabric/nylon 6 composites, depending on their resin characteristics and processing temperature.