Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) and US Army Research Lab visit SKKU to discuss Cooperation Method

On May 6th, Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) and US Army Research Lab visited SKKU to discuss future joint research and task reviews that the Complex Material Simultaneous Design Industry Technology Base Center is conducting with support from AFRL. Professor Jong Hwan Suhr (Department of Mechanical Engineering) leads the center. At this event, President Dong Ryeol, Shin, and research center researchers participated in the conferenceabout future middle-long term joint research and cooperation methods.

SKKU’s Complex Material Simultaneous Design Industry Technology Base Center, an Industry Technology Base Center fostering trial project hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, has research teams led by Prof. Jong Hwan Suhr (Mechanical Engineering), Prof. Jae Do, Nam (Chemical Engineering), Prof. Il Yeop, Choi (Complex Material Simultaneous Design Industry Technology Base Center). These research teams have received three projects for each team from AFOSR, subordinate to AFRL, which are: ‘High-Performance Artificial Heat Protection Structure Development for Aviation Electronic parts in Extreme Environment’, ‘Vitrimer based Stimulus Susceptible Mxene/Keto acid Complex Material Development for Wearable Device’, ‘Complex Material Development for Smart Electromagnetic Shield that Selectively Reacts to Frequency’.

As aviation related technology advances in modern aviation industries, fuselage technology must contain and protect diversified & integrated electronic parts used for aviation parts. To develop/produce high-performance light, strong, and heat-proof material, Prof. Jong Hwan,Suhr’s research team, received metamaterial and biomimetic structure development using metal 3D printing and metal 3D print manufacturing technology. Moreover, the team received this metal 3D printing project and ‘Eco-friendly complex material using Bamboo,’ and ‘Eco-friendly artificial corkmaterial’ from AFRL before and constantly received support. Prof. Jong Hwan,Suhr, said, “We would like to gain recognition for our school’s metal 3D printing capabilities in research-related fields, supported by AFRL and US Army Research Lab. I’m looking forward to active international joint research with US Army Research Lab.”

In addition, due to the recent emergence of various electronic devices, 5G communication, and autonomous driving technology, a wide range of frequencies are being mixed. Thus demands for material that can selectively extract desired EM wave of desired frequency band are increasing. According to this trend, Prof. Jae Do Nam's research team is developing advanced globular nanoparticles that can reflect/absorb EM waves and apply them to polymer-based complex material for the intelligent electromagnetic shield project.

Lastly, wearable devices are a field of next-generation devices that receive the most attention. As the smartificationof wearable devices that are attached to our bodies, such as glasses, clothes,and watches, accelerates, the need for improvement of device stability and performance is arising, such as weight, flexibility, and how well it goes onto skin, heat generation/sensor performance. Thus, Prof. Il Yeop, Choi’s research team, is currently working on a 3-dimension porous structured Vitrimer polymer-based stimulus susceptible to complex material development.

President Dong Ryeol Shin said, "It is encouraging that SKKU's research capabilities in the complex material field are receiving global recognition from AFRL and US Army Research lab with research teams yielding excellent accomplishments from projects received. We hope to create new values by vitalizing mid-long term international joint research with our faculties of various fields including software field such as artificial intelligence."