North Carolina A&T State University
NSF Engineering Research Center + Bioengineering Joint Seminar Series
Electrospun Meta-aramid Mats and Their Application
by
Hak Yong Kim, Ph.D.
Professor of Bio-Info-Nano Fusion Technology
Chonbuk National University
Jeonbuk, Korea
11 AM – 11:50 AM – Friday, February 07, 2014
McNair Hall Auditorium – College of Engineering
Abstract:
The effect of salt formation during condensation polymerization on the morphology of electrospun meta-aramid fibers was investigated. The presence of a by-product salt (calcium chloride, CaCl2) improved the electrospinnability of the meta-aramid solution and induced the formation of a spider-web-like structure in the mats. The effect of the concentration of the solution and applied voltage on the formation of the spider-web-like fibrous structure was investigated. FE-SEM images indicated that the very thin fibers were uniformly distributed with thick fibers throughout the mats in the form of a spider-web-like structure. TGA showed that the thermal stability of the electrospun meta-aramid mats was affected by CaCl2. The observed enhancement in the thermal and mechanical properties of the mats, which was attributed to the formation of the spider-web-like structure, may increase the number of potential applications of meta-aramid, such as second battery separator, water/air filtration, protective clothing and electrical insulation.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Kim is Professor of Bio-Info-Nano (BIN) Fusion Technology and Professor of Organic Materials and Fiber at Chonbuk National University (CBNU), Korea. He also serves as Director of the Korea Research Foundation-funded (NSF-equivalent in Korea) Center for Healthcare Technology and Development at CBNU. Dr. Kim’s areas of research include biomaterials, polymeric composites and functional materials. He has 245 refereed journal publications with a total of over 5,200 citations. He holds 6 US patents and 80 Korean patents, with several more in the pipeline worldwide.
Dr. Kim earned his BS in Textile Engineering from CBNU and his MS and PhD in Textile Engineering from Seoul National University, Korea. Prior to entering academia, he gained 14 years of industrial R&D experience as Leader of the Fiber Research Division of the Samyang Group R&D Center. He serves on the editorial board of two high-impact technical journals and has won multiple university research excellence and professional society awards.
