Polymer nanocomposites incorporating inorganic nanofillers have emerged as highly promising electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials, combining mechanical compliance with robust conductive percolation networks. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are particularly attractive as conductive fillers because their high aspect ratio facilitates percolation at low loadings. Also, CNTs offer superior mechanical durability under deformation compared to rigid, fracture-prone metal nanowires. For EMI shielding, high electrical conductivity is critical as it enhances both reflection and absorption through efficient charge dissipation and conduction losses. However, achieving highly aligned conductive pathways without degrading the intrinsic electrical properties of CNTs remains a significant challenge. Here, we demonstrate a non-destructive magnetic surface-functionalization and alignment strategy. Using a polydopamine (PDA)-mediated route, pristine multiwalled CNTs are uniformly decorated with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (FMWCNTs). This enables highly effective magnetic field-driven alignment at fields as low as 10 mT, promoting the strategic formation of percolation networks. By optimizing the Fe₃O₄/MWCNT ratio for high saturation magnetization and uniform coverage, the aligned FMWCNTs exhibit significant electrical anisotropy, delivering a 10.7-fold higher electrical conductivity in the parallel configuration compared to the vertical configuration. These findings present a scalable, room-temperature platform for engineering directionally enhanced conductivity in polymer nanocomposites, with broad applicability in advanced EMI shielding, flexible electronics, and advanced packaging technologies.

Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) has attracted significant attention as a next-generation insulating material due to its ecofriendly nature and outstanding functionalities. However, conventional kraft insulation paper suffers from limited dielectric breakdown strength and long-term reliability under high-voltage conditions, highlighting the need for alternative materials. In this study, kraft pulp was combined with five types of CNFs (A, B, C: wood-based / D, E: non-wood-based) to fabricate composite insulation papers, and their electrical and mechanical properties were systematically evaluated. The results showed that CNF incorporation generally enhanced density and tensile strength, while certain types contributed to lowering dielectric constant and improving breakdown strength. Among the wood-based CNFs, type C exhibited the most balanced performance in terms of dielectric stability and mechanical reinforcement. Among the non-wood-based CNFs, type E demonstrated notable improvements in structural compactness and tensile strength, suggesting favorable reliability. Therefore, this study identifies CNF C among wood-based types and CNF E among non-wood-based types as the most promising candidates for insulation performance enhancement, suggesting their applicability as next-generation insulating materials for power equipment and ecofriendly electronic devices.

The continuous and long-lasting monitoring of physiological signals induced from the human body is crucial for health monitoring, disease diagnosis, and treatment. In this study, we have reported the Seebeck effect-based flexible selfpowered temperature sensor which can convert the electric signals from lateral temperature difference. For demonstrating temperature sensor arrays, the p-type thermoelectric (TE) composite films were fabricated by dispersing the Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ (BST) powders inside poly-vinylidene fluoride matrix and subsequently attached to the patterned electrode foils. The inorganic BST powders-embedded TE composite films with activated area of 0.5 × 1 cm² harvest a maximum voltage of 1.7 mV, a maximum current of 5.6 mA, and an output power of 2.6 nW from the temperature gradient (ΔT) of 20 K. Finally, the fabricated selfpowered temperature sensor array well detected the pattern images of external thermal source of ΔT = 20 K. This study manifests flexible temperature sensor array which paves the way for further advancements in this field.

The search for sustainable and efficient energy conversion technologies is becoming increasingly critical in response to global energy and environmental challenges. Traditional lead-based piezoelectric materials, such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), have high piezoelectric constant but present significant health problems and environmental risks due to their hazardous metal contaminants. This study addresses these concerns by investigating barium titanate (BTO), a lead-free alternative, and enhancing its performance using anisotropic nanowires (NWs) structures. BTO NWs were synthesized via a two-step hydrothermal method and incorporated into a poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] matrix to fabricate a piezoelectric composite film. The resulting device demonstrated a notable increase in electrical output compared to devices based on isotropic morphology of BTO nanoparticles, exhibiting enhanced performance. These findings suggest that BTO NWs hold significant promise for applications in flexible and wearable electronics, paving the way for further advancements in sustainable energy technology.

Piezoelectric ceramics play an important role in various electronic applications. However, traditional ceramics are difficult to be used in some complicated structures, due to their low flexibility and high brittleness. To solve this problem, this study prepared and investigated ceramic/polymer composites that can utilize a good flexibility of polymers. Polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) and 0.77(Bi_1/2Na_1/2)TiO₃-0.23SrTiO₃ (BNST23) ceramics were selected to fabricate the composites. Ceramic/polymer composites were prepared using various volume fractions of BNST23 ceramics. The distribution of piezoceramic particles in BNST23/PVDF-TrFE composites was investigated using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the composites were significantly influenced by the volume fraction of the piezoelectric ceramics. As a result, the highest piezoelectric constant (d33) of 56 pC/N was obtained in a composites with 70% volume fraction of BNST23 ceramics. Accordingly, it is expected that BNST23/PVDF-TrFE composites can be applied to various sensor applications.

The Internet of Things (IoT) device is a key component for Industry 4.0, which is the network in homes, factories, buildings, and infrastructures to monitor and control the systems. To demonstrate the IoT network, batteries are widely utilized as power sources, and the batteries inevitably require repeated replacement due to their limited capacity. Magneto-mechanoelectric (MME) generators are one of the candidate to develop self-powered IoT systems since MME generators can harvest electricity from stray alternating current (AC) magnetic fields arising from electric power cables. Herein, we report a magnetomechano- triboelectric generator enabled by a ferromagnetic-ferroelectric composite. In the triboelectric nylon matrix, a ferromagnetic carbonyl iron powder (CIP) was introduced to induce magnetic force near the AC magnetic field for MME harvesting. Additionally, a ferroelectric ceramic powder was also added to the MME composite material to enhance the chargetrapping capability during triboelectric harvesting. The final ferromagnetic-ferroelectric composite-based MME triboelectric harvester can generate an open-circuit voltage and a short-circuit current of 110 V and 8 μA, respectively, which were enough to turn on a light emitting diode (LED) and charge a capacitor. These results verify the feasibility of the MME triboelectric generator for not only harvesting electricity from an AC magnetic field but also for various self-powered IoT applications.

Piezoelectric ceramics play an important role in electrical and electronic devices such as sensors, actuators, and microelectronic devices. However, traditional ceramics are difficult to be used in various process industries due to their high brittleness and low flexibility. Therefore, piezoelectric paint sensors have been designed for application to the curved surfaces of complicated structures. Furthermore, recently, significant attention has been focused on the development of paint sensors that can be used as structure health monitoring sensors for vibration, impact, and acoustic emission. Several studies have successfully demonstrated the possibility that smart paint sensors can take the place of traditional ceramic sensors. In this review, we briefly introduce the concept of the piezoelectric paint sensors and the expected application field as well as their preparation and history.

Stretchable piezoelectric energy harvester (S-PEHs) based on composite materials are considered one of the potential candidates for realizing wearable self-powered devices for smart clothing and electronic skin. However, low energy conversion performance and expensive stretchable electrodes are major bottlenecks hindering the development and application of S-PEHs. Here, we fabricated the S-PEH by adopting the piezoelectric composites with enhanced stress transfer properties and kirigamipatterned textile electrodes. The optimum contents of piezoelectric BaTiO₃ nanoparticles inside the carbon nanotube/ecoflex composite were selected as 30 wt% considering the trade-off between stretchability and energy harvesting performance of the device. The final S-PEH shows an output voltage and mechanical stability of ~5 V and ~3,000 cycles under repeated 150% of tensile strain, respectively. This work presents a cost-effective and scalable way to fabricate stretchable piezoelectric devices for self-powered wearable electronic systems.

Heaters using the resistance heating principle are used in various industrial fields that require heat and are also essentially used in bidet among small home appliances. A planar heater and a coil-inserted heater mounted on a conventional commercially used bidet have disadvantages and limitations of complicated manufacturing process and local heating. In this study, silver-palladium (Ag-Pd) powder material was used for a screen-printing process that is more advantageous in achieving simplification than the existing process, and a rod-type heater for bidet was manufactured. The on-off cycle test under actual conditions was conducted to confirm the durability and the capability of the fabricated heater, and the fabricated heater operated more than 2,600 on-off cycles, which means it could be applied for a commercial product. In addition, through the on-off cycles under harsh conditions, the cause of failure was identified after the test that the durability limit temperature of the heater was 850℃. Through Ag-Pd rod heater in this study, it is expected to contribute to the efficient development of electrode materials for heaters and the improvement of the durability of heaters in the future.

Magnetoelectric (ME) composites are comprised of magnetostrictive and piezoelectric phases. Lots of theoretical and experimental works have been done on ME composites in the last couple of decades. The output performance of ME composites has been enhanced by optimizing the constituent phases, interface layer, dimensions of the ME composites, different operating modes, etc. However, the detailed information about the characterization of ME coupling in ME composites is not provided yet. Therefore, in this tutorial paper, we are giving an insight into the details of measurements of ME voltage coefficient of ME composites both at off-resonance and resonance conditions. A symmetric type Gelfenol/PMN-PZT/Gelfenol ME composites were fabricated by sandwiching (011) 32-mode PMN-PZT single crystal between two Galfenol plates by epoxy bonding are used for the example of ME coupling measurement. The details about the experimental setup used for the measurement of ME voltage coefficient are provided. Furthermore, a step-by-step measurement of ME voltage coefficient using computerized program is demonstrated. We believe the present experimental measurement details can help readers to understand the concept of ME coupling and its analysis.

Capacitive-type humidity sensors with a high sensitivity and fast response/recovery times have attracted a great attention in non-contact respiration biological signal monitoring applications. However, complicated fabrication processes involving high-temperature heat treatment for the hygroscopic film is essential in the conventional ceramic-based humidity sensors. In this study, a non-toxic ceramic/metal halide (BaTiO₃(BT)/NaCl) humidity sensor was prepared at room temperature using a solvent-free aerosol deposition process (AD) without any additional process. Currently prepared BT/NaCl humidity sensor shows an excellent sensitivity (245 pF/RH%) and superior response/recovery times (3s/4s) due to the NaCl ionization effect resulting in an immense interfacial polarization. Furthermore, the non-contact respiration signal variation using the BT/NaCl sensor was determined to be over 700% by maintaining the distance of 20 cm between the individual and the sensor. Through the AD-fabricated sensor in this study, we expect to develop a non-contact biological signal monitoring system that can be applied to various fields such as respiratory disease detection and management, infant respiratory signal observation, and touchless skin moisture sensing button.

Magnetoelectric (ME) properties of 3-0 type particulate composites have been investigated with respect to application features for reliable magnetic sensitivity and magnetically-induced output voltage. In order to figure out the magnetoelectric characteristics in the ME composites, frequency dependent ME responses were studied from [0.948 Na0.5K0.5NbO3-0.052 LiSbO₃]-[Co_1-xZn_xFe₂O₄] (NKNLS)/Co_1-xZn_xFe₂O₄ (CZFO, x=0, 0.1, and 0.2). As a result, the maximal αME of 23.15 mV/cm·Oe was achieved from the NKNLS-CZFO (x_Zn = 0.1) composites at resonance frequency of 315 kHz and H_dc = 0 Oe. From the frequency dependent ME responses, it is clearly described that the self-biased ME composites can be used for applications as both magnetic sensors and energy harvesters, respectively.

Piezoelectric energy harvesting technologies, which can be used to convert the electricity from the mechanical energy, have been developed in order to assist or power the wearable electronics. To realize non-toxic and biocompatible electronics, the lead-free (Ba_0.85Ca_0.15)(Ti_0.90Zr_0.10)O₃ (BCTZ) nanoparticles (NPs) are being studied with a great attention as flexible energy harvesting device. Herein, piezoelectric hybrid nanocomposites were fabricated using BCTZ NPs-embedded poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] matrix to improve the performance of flexible energy harvester. Output performance of the fabricated energy device was investigated by the well-optimized measurement system during the periodically bending and releasing motions. The generated open-circuit voltage and the short-circuit current of the piezoelectric hybrid nanocomposite-based energy harvester reached up to ~15 V and ~1.1 μA, respectively; moreover, the instantaneous power of 3.5 μW is determined from load voltage and current at the external load of 20 MΩ. This research is expected to cultivate a new approach to high-performance wearable self-powering electronics.

Magnetoelectric (ME) composite is composed of a piezoelectric material and a magnetostrictive material. Among various ME structures, 2-2 type layered ME composites are anticipated to be used as high-sensitivity magnetic field sensors and energy harvesting devices especially operating at its resonance modes. Rosen type piezoelectric transducer using piezoelectric material is known to amplify a small electrical input voltage to a large electrical output voltage. The output voltage of these Rosen type piezoelectric transducers can be further enhanced by modifying them into ME composite structures. Herein, we fabricated Rosen type ME composites by sandwiching Rosen type PMN-PZT single crystal between two Ni layers and studied their ME coupling. However, the voltage step-up ratio at the resonance frequency was found to be smaller than the value calculated with αME value. The ATILA FEA (Finite Elements Analysis) simulation results showed that the position of the nodal point was changed with the presence of a magnetostrictive layer. Thus, while designing a Rosen type ME composite with high performance in a resonant driving situation, it is necessary to optimize the position of the nodal point by optimizing the thickness or length of the magnetostrictive layer.

Controlling ambient humid condition through high performance humidity sensors has become important for various fields, including industrial process, food storage, and the preservation of historic remains. Although aerosol deposited humidity sensors using ceramic BaTiO₃ (BT) material have been widely studied because of their longtime stability, there remain critical disadvantages, such as low sensitivity, low linearity, and slow response/recovery time in case of the sensors fabricated at room temperature. To achieve superior humidity sensing properties even at room temperature condition, BT-Cu composite films utilizing aerosol deposition (AD) process have been proposed based on the percolation theory. The BT-Cu composite films showed gradually improved sensing properties until the Cu concentration reached 15 wt% in the composite film. However, the excessive Cu (above 30 wt%) containing BT-Cu composite films showed a rapid decrease of the sensing properties. The results of observed surface morphology of the AD fabricated composite films, to figure out the metal filler effect, showed correlation between surface topography as well as size and the amount of open pores according to the metal filler content. Overall, it is very important not only dielectric constant of the humidity sensing films but also microstructures, because they affect either the variation range of capacitance by ambient humidity or adsorption/desorption of ambient humidity onto/from the humidity sensing films.

Since 2010, polymer-based magnetoelectric (ME) composites have been developed with detailed investigations of multiferroic properties such as piezoelectric, magnetostrictive, and magnetoelectric, etc. In particular, as a piezoelectric polymer, poly(vinylidene fluoride) and its co-polymers have been widely used in ME composites for energy harvesting, health monitoring, environment treatment, and bio-medical applications. In this study, main research trend and selected experimental results of polymer-based ME composites are briefly reviewed with respect to composite structure as well as application field. A conclusion was drawn that the polymer-based ME composites would be feasible as flexible devices or functional membranes in the near future.

IEEE Standard on Piezoelectricity has been utilized for decades though it has shown significant issues that prevent researchers from obtaining accurate materials coefficients. To resolve these issues, our research group recently proposed partial electrode (PE) method. PE method utilizes samples that consist of the center part covered with electrode, and the side part either covered or not covered with electrode for obtaining both intensive and extensive elastic parameters. In this review, we introduce our PE method, along with physical phenomenology and background, such as issues of IEEE standard, to bolster readers understanding of needs for developing new measurement method that can compensate the standard method. It is shown that development of the PE method not only provides technological benefits, but also gives scientific importance for the piezoelectric research community from its extremely high data accuracy.

Heating films were prepared with composites of poly (methyl methacrylate) and conductive graphite. The as-prepared composite was deposited on a PET film and then fabricated using a bar coater to produce a film with uniform thickness. Copper electrodes were attached to both ends of the as-prepared film, and the heating characteristics of the film were analyzed while applying a DC voltage. The electrical conductivity and heating temperature of the heating films depended on the size, structure, content, and the dispersion characteristics of the graphite in the composite. The thermal energy was adjusted by controlling the electrical energy, based on the Joule heating theory. The electrical resistance of the film was altered in proportion to Ohm’s law, and the heating temperature was changed according to the structure of the film (interelectrode spacing or electrode length) and the conductive graphite content. When the content of conductive graphite in the film increases, the electrical resistance decreases, and the heating temperature increases; however, there is no significant change above a certain content (50%).

In this study, the volume resistivity of XLPE materials with various voltage ratings was discussed. The volume resistivity of the developed XPLE nanocomposite was measured, and the conductivity mechanism of the material was also examined. The ASTM D 257 and IEC 60093 measurement methods were used for these tests. The equipment was designed to measure up to a temperature of 200℃, and the electrode structure was designed to maintain the thickness and temperature uniformity of the sample. The conductivity of the sample decreased with temperature, and the samples reached saturation within 500s, after which the conductivity leveled off. By analyzing the current density and the electric field, we can well explain the electric conductivity behavior of our sample with the Schottky mechanism.

A piezoelectric ceramic fiber composite (PCFC) was successfully fabricated using 0.69Pb(Zr_0.47Ti_0.53)O₃-0.31[Pb(Zn_0.4Ni_0.6)_1/3Nb_2/3]O₃ (PZT-PZNN) for use in small-scale wind energy harvesters. The PCFC was formed using an epoxy matrix material and an array of Ag/Pd-coated PZT-PZNN piezo-ceramic fibers sandwiched by Cu interdigitated electrode patterned polyethylene terephthalate film. The energy harvesting performance was evaluated in a custom-made wind tunnel while varying the wind speed and resistive load with two types of flutter wind energy harvesters. One had a five-PCFC array vertically clamped with a supporting acrylic rod while the other used the same structure but with a five-PCFC cantilever array. Stainless steel (thickness: 50 ㎛) was attached onto one side of the PCFC to form the PZT-PZNN cantilever. The output power, in general, increased with an increase in the wind speed from 2 m/s to 10 m/s for both energy harvesters. The highest output power of 15.1 ㎼ at 14 kΩ was obtained at a wind speed of 10 m/s for the flutter wind energy harvester with the PZT-PZNN cantilever array. The results presented here reveal the strong potential for wind energy harvester applications to supply sustainable power to various IoT micro-devices.

Hexagonal boron nitride particles (s-hBN) modified with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) were used for the preparation of silicone composite materials. The microstructure of the composite materials was observed, and the thermal conduction and mechanical characteristics of the composite sheets were studied based on the compositions and microstructures. When a small amount of s-hBN particles was used, the thermal conductivity of the composite improved as a whole, and the tensile strength of the sheet also increased. The thermal conductivity and tensile strength of the composite in which a small amount of carbon fiber was added along with s-hBN were further improved. However, the use of carbon nanotubes with structural characteristics similar to those of carbon fiber resulted in lower thermal conductivity and tensile strength. Elastic silicone composites exhibiting 2.5 W/mK of thermal conductivity and a low hardness are expected to be used as thermally conductive interfacial sheet materials.

In this study, we prepared 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, and 70 wt% content composites filled in epoxy matrix for two micro silica and three micro alumina types for use as a GIS heavy electric machine. As a filler type of epoxy composite, micro silica composites showed excellent AC breakdown strength properties compared to micro alumina composites in the case of electrical properties of micro silica and alumina. The electrical breakdown properties of micro silica composites increased with increasing filler content, whereas those of micro alumina decreased with increasing filler content. In the case of mechanical properties, the micro silica composite showed improved tensile strength and flexural strength compared with the micro alumina composite. In addition, mechanical properties such as tensile strength and flexural strength of micro silica and alumina composites decreased with increasing filler content. This is probably because O-H groups are present on the surface of silica in the case of micro silica but are not present on the surface of alumina in the case of micro alumina.

In particular, gas sensors require characteristics such as high speed, sensitivity, and selectivity. In this study, we fabricated a NO_X gas sensor by using a multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/zinc oxide (ZnO) composite film. The fabricated MWCNT/ZnO gas sensor was then treated by a 450℃ temperature process to increase its detection sensitivity for NOx gas. We compared the detection characteristics of a ZnO film gas sensor, MWCNT film gas sensor, and the MWCNT/ZnO composited film gas sensor with and without the heat-treatment process. The fabricated gas sensors were used to detect NO_X gas at different concentrations. The gas sensor absorbed NO_X gas molecules, exhibiting increased sensitivity. The sensitivity of the gas sensor was increased by increasing the gas concentration. Additionally, while changing the temperature inside the chamber for the MWCNT/ZnO composite film gas sensor, we obtained its sensitivity for detecting NO_X gas. Compared with ZnO, the MWCNT film gas sensor is excellent for detecting NO_X gas. From the experimental results, we confirmed the enhanced gas sensor sensing mechanism. The increased effect by electronic interaction between the MWCNT and ZnO films contributes to the improved sensor performance.

In this study, we fabricated an NOX gas sensor using a composite film of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)/zinc oxide (ZnO). Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) show good electronic conductivity and chemical-stability, and zinc oxide (ZnO) is a wide band gap semiconductor with a large exciton binding energy. Gas sensors require characteristics such as high speed, sensitivity, and selectivity. The fabricated gas sensor was used to detect NOX gas at different NOX concentrations. The sensitivity of the gas sensor increased with increasing gas concentrations. Additionally, while changing the temperature inside the chamber containing the MWCNT/ZnO gas sensor, we obtained the sensitivity and normalized responses for detecting NOX gas in comparison to ZnO and MWCNT film gas sensors. From the experimental results, we confirmed that the gas sensor sensing mechanism was enhanced in the composite-film gas-sensor and that the electronic interaction between MWCNT and ZnO contributed to the improved sensor performance.

The power law is very important in gas sensing for the determination of gas concentration. In this study, the resistance of a gas sensor based on poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate＋graphene oxide composite was found to exhibit a power law dependence on hydrogen concentration at 150℃. Experiments were carried out in the gas concentration range of 30~180 ppm at which the sensor showed a sensitivity of 6~9% with a response and recovery time of 30s.

There is growing interest in power inductors in which metal soft magnetic powder and epoxy resin are combined. In this field, the process technology for increasing the packing density of magnetic particles in an injection molding process is very important. However, little research has been reported in this regard. In order to improve the packing density, we investigated and compared the sedimentation heights of pastes for three types of soft magnetic alloy powders as a function of the mixing ratios and the type of resin used. Experimental results showed that the packing density was the highest (71.74%) when the mixing ratio was 80：16：4 (Sendust：Fe-Si：CIP) according to the particle size using an SE-4125 resin. In addition, the packing density was found to be inversely related to the layer separation distance. As a result, it was confirmed that the dispersion of solid particles in the paste was important for curing; however, the duration of the curing process can greatly affect the packing density of the final composite.

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films show a low sheet resistance and high transmittance in the visible range of the spectrum. Therefore, they play an important role as transparent electrodes for flat panel displays. However, their resistivity is rather high for use as a transparent electrode in large displays. One way to improve electrical and optical properties in large displays is to use ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer films. ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer films have lower sheet resistance than single layer ITO films with the same thickness. Prior to the ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer experiments, optimal condition for thickness change are necessary. Their thicknesses were deposited differently in order to analyze electrical and optical properties. However, when optimal single film characteristics are applied to ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer films, other phenomena appeared. After analyzing the electrical and optical properties by changing ITO and Ag film thickness, ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer films were optimized. By combining ITO film at 586 Å and Ag film at 10 nm, the ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer films showed optimized high optical transmittance of 87.65%, and the low sheet resistance of 5.5 Ω/sq.

3YSZ + (x) Al₂O₃ composites (x = 20, 40, 60, 80 wt%) were fabricated and the influences of particle sizes of Al₂O₃ on their microstructures and mechanical properties were investigated with XRD, SEM, vickers hardness and fracture toughness. Al₂O₃-3YSZ composites containing Al₂O₃ powder of a 0.3 μm and an 1.0 μm, which are here in after named as Al2O3(0.3 μm)-3YSZ and Al₂O₃ (1.0 μm)-3YSZ, respectively, were made by mixing raw materials, uni-axial pressing and sintering at 1,400℃, 1,500℃, and 1,600℃. Al₂O₃ (0.3 μm)-3YSZ composites show the higher density and the better mechanical properties than Al₂O₃ (1.0 μm)-3YSZ composites. The Vickers hardness of the Al₂O₃ (0.3 μm)-3YSZ composites show a peak value of 1,997 Hv at the content of 60 wt% Al₂O₃, which is a slightly higher value in comparison with 1,938 Hv of the Al2O3(1.0 μm)-3YSZ composite. However, the fracture toughness of Al₂O₃-3YSZ composites monotonically increases with decreasing the content of Al₂O₃ without any peak values. Al₂O₃ (0.3 μm)-3YSZ and Al₂O₃ (1.0 μm)-3YSZ composites sintered at 1,600℃ have a maximum value of a 6.9 MPa·m1/2 and a 6.2 MPa·m1/2, respectively at the composition of containing 20 wt% Al2O3. It should be noticed that the mechanical properties and the sintering density of the Al₂O₃-3YSZ composites can be enhanced by using more fine Al₂O₃ powder due to their denser microstructure and smaller grain size.

In order to develop an electrical insulation material for gas GIS (insulation switch gear) spacer, 4 types of epoxy/micro-alumina (40, 50, 60, 70 wt%) composites and 9 types of epoxy/nano-alumina (1, 3, 5 g)/micro-alumina (40, 50, 60, 70 wt%) composites were prepared and tensile test was carried out. In here, nano-alumina was previously surface-treated with GDE (glycerol diglycidyl ether). As micro-alumina and GDE-treated nano-alumina contents increased, tensile strength increased and the highest value was shown in the system with 3 g GDE-treated nano-alumina.

In this paper, we fabricated flexible CNT/PVDF (carbon nanotube / polyvinylidene fluoride) piezoelectric composite device with flexible poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) : polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) conducting polymer electrode using spray coating method. We tried to improve the piezoelectric performance from the CNT/PVDF composite film by enhancing electrical conductivity of the PEDOT:PSS electrodes. Electrical conductivity of the PEDOT:PSS electrode was enhanced by dipping it into the EG (ethylene glycol) solvent. Changes of chemical composition of the PEDOT:PSS electrode were analyzed with the dipping time by XPS (x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) in terms of oxygen (O1s). Finally, Piezoelectric performances such as output voltage and current were measured with the dipping time. We found that enhanced electrical conductivity of the PEDOT:PSS electrodes resulted in improvement of the piezoelectric performance of the CNT/PVDF films.