C/SiC composites were prepared by boron nitride (BN)-assisted liquid silicon infiltration (LSI), and their anti-oxidation and mechanical properties were investigated. The microstructures, bulk densities, and porosities of the C/SiC composites demonstrated that the infiltration of liquid silicon into the composites improved them, because the layered-structure BN worked as a lubricant. Increasing the amount of BN improved the anti-oxidation of the prepared C/SiC composites. This synergistic effect was induced by the assistance of BN in the LSI. More thermally stable SiC was formed in the composite, and fewer pores were formed in the composite, which reduced inward oxygen diffusion. The mechanical strength of the composite increased up to the addition of 3% BN and decreased thereafter due to increased brittleness from the presence of more SiC in the composite. Based on the anti-oxidation and mechanical properties of the prepared composites, we concluded that improved anti-oxidation of C/SiC composites can be achieved through BN-assisted LSI, although there may be some degradation of the mechanical properties. The desired anti-oxidation and mechanical properties of the composite can be achieved by optimizing the BN-assisted LSI conditions.

To investigate new applications for illite as an additive for carbon-based composites, the composites were prepared with and without illite at different heat-treatment temperatures. The effects of the heat-treatment temperature on the chemical structure, microstructure, and thermal oxidation properties of the resulting composites were studied. As the heat-treatment temperature was increased, silicon carbide SiC formation via carbothermal reduction increased until all the added illite was consumed in the case of the samples heat-treated at 2,300℃. This is attributed to the intimate contact between the SiO2 in the illite and the phenol carbon precursor or the carbon fibers of the preform. Among composites prepared at all temperatures, those with illite addition exhibited fewer pores, voids, and interfacial cracks, resulting in larger bulk densities and lower porosities. A delay of oxidation was not observed in the illite-containing composites prepared at 2,300℃, suggesting that the illite itself absorbed energy for exfoliation or other physical changes. Therefore, if the illite-containing C/C composites can reach a density generally comparable to that of other C/C composites, illite may find application as a filler for C/C composites. However, in this study, the illite-containing C/C composites exhibited low density, even when prepared at a high heat-treatment temperature of 2300℃, although the thermal oxidation of the resulting composites was improved.

To investigate new potential application of a clay material for C/C composites, illite added C/C composites were prepared with various illite contents. The improvement of filler effect by illite size reduction was also investigated using wet ballmilling by evaluating illite/phenolic resin infiltration using bulk density and porosity measurements, chemical structural changes of the composites using XRD, and thermal oxidation stability in air of the composites using TGA. The size reduction of illite resulted in narrower particle size distribution and improved illite infiltration into carbon preform. And the resultant C/C composites prepared with illite had even more improved thermal oxidation stability in air, showing more increased IDTs up to 100℃, compared to those of the C/C composites with pristine illite, due to the SiC formation through carbothermal reduction between illite and carbon materials. The illite induced delay in oxidation of the illite-C/C composites was also observed and the delayed oxidation behavior was attributed to the layered structure of illite, which improved illite/phenol resin infiltration. Therefore, the potential use of illite as filler to improve oxidation stability of C/C composite can be promising. And the size reduction of illite can improve its effect on the desired properties of illite-C/C composites even more.

In this study, TiO2-Activated carbon (AC) complex fibers were prepared by electrospinning for the synergetic effect of adsorption and degradation of organic pollutant. The average diameter of these fibers increased with increasing the amount of AC added, except for 1AC-TOF (AC/TiO2 =1/40 mass ratio). After calcinations at 500℃, long as-spun fibers were broken and their average diameter was slightly decreased. The resultant fibers after calcination had rough surface and sphere shapes like a peanut. From XRD results, it was confirmed that as-spun fibers were changed to anatase TiO2 fiber after calcinations at 500℃. The prepared TiO2-AC complex fibers could remove procian blue dyes by solar light irradiation with high removal property of 94~99%. The PB dye was rapidly removed by adsorption during the initial 5 minutes. But after 5 minutes, dye removal was occurred by photodegradation. In this study, the most efficient AC/TiO2 ratio of TiO2-AC complex fibers was 5/40, showing the synergetic effect of adsorption and photodegradation. It is expected that the TiO2-AC complex fibers can be used to remove of organic pollutants in water system.

In this study, porous electrospun carbon fibers were prepared by electrospinning with PAN and MgCl2, as a MgO precursor. MgO was selected as a substrate because of its chemical and thermal stability, no reaction with carbon, and ease of removal after carbonization by dissolving out in acidic solutions. MgCl2 was mixed with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) solution as a precursor of MgO with various weight ratios of MgCl2/PAN. The average diameter of porous electrospun carbon fibers increased from 1.3 to 3 μm, as the MgCl2 to PAN weight ratio increased. During the stabilization step, MgCl2 was hydrolyzed to MgOHCl by heat treatment. At elevated temperature of 823 K for carbonization step, MgOHCl was decomposed to MgO. Specific surface area and pore structure of prepared electrospun carbon fibers were decided by weight ratio of MgCl2/PAN. The amount of hydrogen storage increased with increase of specific surface area and micropore volume of prepared electrospun carbon fibers.