Carbon fiber reinforced ceramics (CFRCs) are well-suited for aerospace components due to their high-temperature stability and oxidation resistance. The SiC-based matrix offers excellent fracture toughness and thermal shock resistance but is prone to defects such as cracking and delamination due to its brittleness. To address these issues, ongoing research focuses on incorporating MAX phase ceramics into composites. In this study, tailoring the M-site composition in MAX phases, such as M3SiC2 structures, expands the mechanical and thermal properties using ab initio calculations. This study identified that Ta-based M3SiC2 MAX phases exhibit high bulk modulus, making them resistant to pressure changes, while Ti and Hf-based phases demonstrate high shear and Young’s modulus, contributing to superior crack resistance and thermal durability. Additionally, Ti, Zr, Hf, and Ta-based compositions were found to have thermal expansion properties like SiCf effectively mitigating thermal stress and fatigue under rapid temperature fluctuations. Ab initio calculations identified Ti, Zr, Hf, and Ta-based M3SiC2 MAX phases as the most promising matrix materials for CFRCs in aerospace and high-temperature applications.

This cross-cultural study was purposed to describe color emotional aspects of fabric dyed with persimmon and indigo in order to enhance the range of products employed in fashion and textile design in global market. Precisely, we attempted to compare Koreans and Chinese focusing on deriving significant physical colorimetric attributes to quantify their color emotion and preference of the dyed fabrics. As results, some significant cross-cultural differences for color emotions and preference were found including that persimmon-dyed cotton fabrics were perceived as more traditional in color by Koreans than by Chinese while indigo-dyed ones were felt by Chinese as coloring more pleasant. Color emotions by each national observers were found as significantly correlated with colorimetric properties. Finally, preference to color of a set of cotton fabrics dyed with persimmon and indigo was also quantified for each nation using objective color saturation, CIE C which was more closely correlated with color preference, which could be utilized to design more sensible naturally dyed fabric for international consumers.

The textile market continues to grow worldwide, which leads to rapid increase in textile wastes. In particular, polyester/cotton blended fibers, which are widely used, have limitations in that they are difficult to process with existing recycling method. This study suggests a glycolysis-based chemical recycling method for the polyester/cotton blended fibers with selective manner. Herein, we use zinc acetate salts as cost-effective catalysts for selective glycolysis of polyester. The glycolysis reaction using the catalysts results in the successful degradation of polyester fibers to bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate monomers while preserving cotton fibers. This study is expected to contribute to the establishment of a sustainable resource circulation model in the textile industry.

In modern society, clothing waste made from mixed materials is being generated, contributing to environmental pollution due to limitations in recycling and reusing such mixed materials. Through our study, we confirmed that the use of biodegradable fibers can assist in addressing the challenges of waste management and recycling. Biodegradable fibers, compared to non-biodegradable materials, exhibit the potential for environmentally friendly circulation through natural decomposition processes. Particularly, biobased materials demonstrate notably high decomposition rates in composting processes. The utilization of fibers possessing post-disposal biodegradability emerges as a potential solution to complement clothing waste management practices.

The purpose of this study was to provide basic data for designing optimal sports socks by selecting three types of commercially available sports socks with designs based on thickness, analyzing the tissue and thickness characteristics of each part, and measuring and analyzing plantar pressure when wearing sports socks. The thickness of sports socks was organized in the order of Heel > Toe > Meta > Ankle > Upper, with the heel and toes being thicker to withstand pressure and the upper part being thinner for breathability. That is, SS03 tended to be thicker in the toes, heel, and ankle parts, while SS02 was thicker in the upper part and meta part. In the case of knitted fabrics, most of the socks were made of flat fabrics, and the ankle part used a general tube type and rubber piece structure for better wearing comfort, and some meta parts used a jacquard pattern for decoration. The analysis of plantar pressure in the toes, arch, and heel areas of the soles of the feet confirmed that the pressure distribution was affected by the thickness of the sock area.

This study investigated the potential of C.I. Pigment Blue 15:3, a copper phthalocyanine-based organic pigment as a carbon precursor for electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) electrode materials. Activated carbon(AC) was prepared by mixing with ZnCl2 and heat-treating the mixture at various temperatures (500, 600, 700, and 800 oC). The crystalline structure of AC was more developed, as the heat-treatment temperature increased. There was no significant difference in specific surface area of the prepared ACs, whereas their pore size distributions exhibited significant difference. The AC prepared at 700 oC has the largest micropore volume with the second highest crystallized structure whereas the AC prepared at 800 oC has the largest mesopore volume with the most crystallized structure. The AC prepared at 700 oC and 800 oC exhibited excellent specific capacitance with 31.3 F/g and 27.2 F/g at 0.1 A/g, respectively, outperforming 26.8 F/g of the commercial EDLC electrode material Norit-carbon. These findings confirm the feasibility of using C.I. Pigment Blue 15:3-based activated carbons as electrode materials for EDLCs.

Fine dust is a primary cause of air pollution, and to prevent this issue, silica web filters have been utilized to measure fine dust. The fabrication of these silica web filters involves wet-laid nonwoven methods and electrospinning techniques. However, when tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) silica nano-webs are manufactured using these methods, limitations arise in terms of productivity due to the batch-based process and the implementation of continuous fibers. In particular, the wet-laid nonwoven method has a drawback in that it cannot control the pore size, which determines the filter's performance. Therefore, this study aimed to address issues related to pore size control and product scalability by manufacturing TEOS/PVP silica nano-web using a newly conceptualized conveyor belt-type electrospinning apparatus. During the preparation of the TEOS/PVP solution, stirring for more than three hours facilitated hydrolysis and condensation reactions. It was observed that nanofibers with diameters ranging from approximately 100 nm to 1000 nm were formed successfully when the TEOS content was 13 wt.%, 18 wt.%, and 24 wt.%. Also, the formation of bead varies depending on the viscosity of the solution and the degree of hydrolysis and condensation reactions. Silica nanowebs produced with the lowest TEOS content of 8 wt.% failed to form continuous fibers and were instead deposited as powder on the belt. Conversely, silica nanowebs produced with the highest TEOS content of 30 wt.% exhibited beads along with fibers within the web structure due to the high viscosity of the TEOS/PVP spinning solution. The thermal properties and morphological properties of the silica nanowebs were analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and optical microscope (OM). It was observed that the silica nanowebs exhibited excellent thermal properties and morphological properties reflecting the inherent characteristics of silica fibers.