There are many types of foam molding methods. The most commonly used methods are the pressure foaming method, in which foam resin is mixed with a foaming agent at high temperature and high pressure, and the normal pressure foaming method, which foams at high temperature without pressure. The polymer resins used for foaming have different viscosities. For foaming under normal pressure, they need to be designed and analyzed for optimal foaming conditions, to obtain resins with low melt-viscosity or a narrow optimal viscosity range. This study investigated how changes in viscosity, molding temperature, and cross-link foaming conditions affected the characteristics of the molded foam, prepared by blending rubber polymer with biodegradable resin. The morphologies of cross sections and the cell structures of the normal pressure foam were investigated by SEM analysis. Properties were also studied according to cross-link/foaming conditions and torque. Also, the correlation between foaming characteristics was studied by analyzing tensile strength and elongation, which are mechanical properties of foaming composites.

To develop a high capacity lithium secondary battery, a new approach to anode material synthesis is required, capable of producing an anode that exceeds the energy density limit of a carbon-based anode. This research synthesized carbon nano silicon composites as an anode material for a secondary battery using the RF thermal plasma method, which is an ecofriendly dry synthesis method. Prior to material synthesis, a silicon raw material was mixed at 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 wt% based on the carbon raw material in a powder form, and the temperature change inside the reaction field depending on the applied plasma power was calculated. Information about the materials in the synthesized carbon nano silicon composites were confirmed through XRD analysis, showing carbon (86.7~52.6 %), silicon (7.2~36.2 %), and silicon carbide (6.1~11.2 %). Through FE-SEM analysis, it was confirmed that the silicon bonded to carbon was distributed at sizes of 100 nm or less. The bonding shape of the silicon nano particles bonded to carbon was observed through TEM analysis. The initial electrochemical charging/ discharging test for the 40 wt% silicon mixture showed excellent electrical characteristics of 1,517 mAh/g (91.9 %) and an irreversible capacity of 133 mAh/g (8.1 %).

There is increasing demand for the development of a new material with high strength, high stiffness, and good electrical conductivity that can be used for high-voltage direct current cables. In this study, we develop aluminumbased composites containing C60 fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, or graphene using a powder metallurgical route and evaluate their strength, stiffness, coefficient of thermal expansion, and electrical conductivity. By optimizing the process conditions, a material with a tensile strength of 800 MPa, an elastic modulus of 90 GPa, and an electrical conductivity of 40% IACS is obtained, which may replace iron-core cables. Furthermore, by designing the type and volume fraction of the reinforcement, a material with a tensile strength of 380 MPa, elastic modulus of 80 GPa, and electrical conductivity of 54% IACS is obtained, which may compete with AA 6201 aluminum alloys for use in all-aluminum conductor cables.

In order to prepare anode materials for high power lithium ion secondary batteries, carbon composites were fabricated with a mixture of petroleum pitch and coke (PC) and a mixture of petroleum pitch, coke, and natural graphite (PCNG). Although natural graphite has a good reversible capacity, it has disadvantages of a sharp decrease in capacity during high rate charging and potential plateaus. This may cause difficulties in perceiving the capacity variations as a function of electrical potential. The coke anodes have advantages without potential plateaus and a high rate capability, but they have a low reversible capacity. With PC anode composites, the petroleum pitch/cokes mixture at 1:4 with heat treatment at 1000 oC (PC14-1000C) showed relatively high electrochemical properties. With PC-NG anode composites, the proper graphite contents were determined at 10~30 wt.%. The composites with a given content of natural graphite and remaining content of various petroleum pitch/cokes mixtures at 1:4~4:1 mass ratios were heated at 800~1200 oC. By increasing the content of petroleum pitch, reversible capacity increased, but a high rate capability decreased. For a given composition of carbonaceous composite, the discharge rate capability improved but the reversible capacity decreased with an increase in heat treatment temperature. The carbonaceous composites fabricated with a mixture of 30 wt.% natural graphite and 70 wt.% petroleum pitch/cokes mixture at 1:4 mass ratio and heat treated at 1000 oC showed relatively high electrochemical properties, of which the reversible capacity, initial efficiency, discharge rate capability (retention of discharge capacity in 10 C/0.2 C), and charge capacity at 5 C were 330 mAh/g, 79 %, 80 %, and 60 mAh/g, respectively.

based composites are candidate materials for ultra-high temperature materials (UHTMs). has become an indispensable ingredient in UHTMs, due to its high melting temperature, relatively low density, and excellent resistance to thermal shock or oxidation. powders are usually synthesized by solid state reactions such as carbothermal, borothermal, or combined carbothermal reaction. SiC is added to this system in order to enhance the oxidation resistance of . In this study, ?based composites were successfully synthesized and densified through two different processing paths. or 25 vol.%SiC was fully synthesized from oxide starting materials with reducing agents after heat treatment at 1400. Besides, ?20 vol.%SiC was fully densified with as a sintering additive after hot pressing at 1900. The synthesis mechanism and the effect of sintering additives on densification of ?SiC composites were also discussed.

In this study, the cement composites incorporating Carbon Nanotube(CNT), Carbon Black(CB), and Carbon Fiber(CF) of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% of binder weight were evaluated to provide conductivity. In order to achieve this, compressive strength and electrical resistance were measured. As a result, the conductivity of cement composites incorporating CNTs was more sensitive than that of cement composites containing CB and CF.

This paper investigates the effect of nanomaterials on the piezoresistive sensing capacity of cement-based composites. Carbon nanotube, graphite nanofiber filament, carbon fiber were considered along with a cement composite which is included slicafume. After deriving optimum flowability, cement composites contained carbon materials were made respectively. Then, cyclic compressive test was performed with cement composite that contained 5% of each nano material.

This paper describes the influence of recycled materials on the flowability of steel fiber-reinforced cement composites. For the FRCC, fly-ash and recycled sand were used as recycled materials. The recycled materials were mixed with replacement ratios of 25% and 50%. As reinforcing fiber for the FRCC, micro steel fibers were used. Based on the test results, flowability of FRCC was improved when fly-ash was replaced. Increase of recycled sand had FRCCs exhibited lower flowability.

Sorghum is the fifth most important cereal in the world as one of the staple food. For the use of natural dye, we have done some researches about sorghum red pigments extracted from stalk and leaves on its physiochemical properties, extracting methods and applications. The researches involved maximum extraction of sorghum pigment and analysis of its processing condition. Total polyphenol and tannin contents were measured by varieties and different plant parts. The stabilities of pigment by irradiation and heat treatment for processing were measured by colorimeter and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). In addition, hybrid nano-silica composites with sorghum pigment were made by combining with polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate and sodium silicate. Water silica hybrids with sorghum pigment were performed by emulsion treatment. Nano-silica particles were identified and measured their size to be about 200 ~ 400 nm by SEM analysis.