Experiment § Bio-based SMC
Biomass materials have received a lot of attention in current environmental issues, and countries have requested to reduce CO2 emissions. Hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and hydrogen-fueled vehicles announced by Toyota aim to reduce carbon emissions from transportation. Recently, European customers require products or raw materials to have carbon footprint labels and encourage suppliers to make requirements to raw material suppliers to create a green supply chain. Bio-based resin materials are also produced, which have lower carbon emissions and carbon footprints than products from the petrochemical industry. We have developed two resins for SMC composites designed with Bio-based epoxy resins. The stability of the viscosity in the early stage of mixing is shown in Figure 1. After curing, the stability, reaction rate, operability, and physical properties of carbon fiber-bonded SMC resins are similar to those of general petrochemical-derived epoxy resins (Figure 2). The "rapid-curing" SMC resin can be cured quickly at 150°C/10 minutes (Figure 3), with a Tg of 130°C and good stability after curing. The Bio-based content of these two SMC formula resins is about 25%, and the Bio-fiber can increase the Bio-based content of the SMC finished product. At present, most of the certification of biomass materials takes Bio-based content as the main content and gives evaluation grades. The bio-based content of raw materials and resin formulations will change due to the addition and compounding of the client. We provide data on the bio-based content of the raw materials themselves. Welcome to contact us if you are interested.
─Author: Mr. Chen Zhixian
Activity § Nonviolent Workplace Communication Skills
Continuing the DISC personality analysis in March, this time, we delved into the problem-solving methods and communication methods of each trait (Figure 1). The teacher let us understand the importance of observation through some questions. He let us know that we need to use logic to make information clear and discuss the final result together (Figure 2-4). Discussions inevitably require communication, and speaking well is a subject. In reality, our self-awareness, criticism, and comparison lead to communication failure. The teacher uses practical experience to practice with the elements of observation, feeling, need, and request (Figure 5). Everyone said they learned a lot!
Knowledge § Curing conditions for light-curing coatings (2)
The curing conditions of the conveyor belt can be understood as the conditions of the fixed light source. Take a mercury lamp (80W/cm) with a vertical lamp tube and conveyor belt, and the curing rate is 5 m/min. Its irradiation intensity is 80W/cm and is converted into 80*103 mW/cm after unit conversion. Its curing rate is 5 m/min and can be converted into irradiation time (1/5)*60/100, and its unit is sec/cm. Multiplying 80*103 mW/cm by (1/5)*60/100 sec/cm yields irradiation energy of 9600 MJ/cm2. This result refers to the value that the mercury lamp converts electrical energy into other energy and irradiates the paint, which contains ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared light, etc., of various wavelengths. The paint can only absorb a certain proportion of this value. If you want to know the energy of a specific wavelength, you still have to use an illuminometer to measure it.
Living § Happy Garden Farm
For as long as I can remember, my mother likes to grow flowers and trees. She said: "Nature is our friend. In her spare time, she likes to be with flowers and plants. From digging, transplanting, and pruning, everything can't be difficult for her, and taking care of the plants will give her a sense of accomplishment. My mother said that feeling the plants grow slowly, observing their needs, and waiting patiently for the flowers to bloom is a long and peaceful period, but people who are calm in their hearts can feel the wonderful taste. I learned later that this was her way of creating solitude with herself, a process that gave her time and space to think. In addition to planting various trees and flowers in the family in recent years, my mother also grows non-toxic fruit and vegetables on her farmland for her family, relatives, and friends to taste. There are various types of fruit and vegetables, such as cabbage, corn, strawberries, pineapples, small tomatoes, etc., that are delicious and healthy. Mom said: We can plant whatever we want to eat, and she always happily shared the skills of planting and the joy of harvesting fruits and vegetables. As a result, the family has also exchanged home-grown crops with many other relatives and friends, and the kitchen and refrigerator seem to have become a barter market. But to my mother, what we get in exchange is not so important, and the important thing is to enjoy the quiet moment with green plants and then share this joy with the people around her, which is why she keeps planting!
─Author: Miss. Yuan-Ru, Liao
