Phase stability of tetragonal crystals in yttria-stabilized zirconia ceramics is dependent on the content of yttria and the heat-treatment condition, related with mechanical properties. In this study, we fabricated the 1.5 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (1.5Y-YSZ) ceramics by cold isostatic pressing (CIP) and post-sintering at temperature range of 1200 to 1350℃ for 2 hours and investigated the sintered properties and microstructural evolution. Sintered and microstructural parameters, i.e, apparent density, grain size and phase composition of 1.5Y-YSZ ceramics were mainly dependent on the sintering temperature. Maximum sintered density of 99.4 % and average grain size of 200-300 nm could be obtained from the heat-treatment condition above sintering temperature at 1300℃ for 2 hours, possessing the superior mechanical hardness with 1200 Hv. However, phase stability of tetragonal grains in 1.5 YSZ ceramics is very low, inducing the phase transformation to monoclinic crystals on specimen surface during cooling after heat-treatment.

Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets have been utilized on various industrial fields such as electric vehicles, generator, robots with actuator, etc, due to their outstanding magnetic properties even 10 times better than conventional magnets. Recently, there are many researches that report magnetic properties improved by controlling microstructure through adjusting alloying elements or conducting various processing. Especially, post-sintering annealing (PSA) can significantly improve the coercivity by modifying the distribution and morphology of Nd-rich phase which formed at grain boundaries. In this study, Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets were subjected to primary heat treatment followed by secondary heat treatment at 460℃, 500℃, and 540℃ to investigate the changes in microstructure and magnetic properties with the secondary heat treatment temperature. EBSD analysis was conducted to compare anisotropic characteristics. Through the SEM and TEM observation for analyzing the morphology and distribution of Nd-rich phase, we investigated the relationship between microstructure and magnetic properties of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets.

The conventional degreasing process involves removing oil and contaminants at temperatures above 80℃, resulting in excessive energy consumption, increased process costs, and environmental issues. In this study, we aimed to find the optimal degreasing conditions for the pre-treatment process of electro-galvanizing cold-rolled steel sheets, conducted efficiently at room temperature without the need for a separate heating device. To achieve this, we developed a room temperature degreasing solution and a brush-type degreasing tool, aiming to reduce energy consumption and normalize the decrease in degreasing efficiency caused by temperature reduction. Alkaline degreasing solution were prepared using KOH, SiO₂, NaOH, Na₂CO₃, and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, with KOH and NaOH as the main components. To enhance the degreasing performance at room temperature, we manufactured additives including sodium oleate, sodium stearate, sodium palmitate, sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, silicone emulsion, and EDTA-Na. Room temperature additives were added to the alkaline degreasing solution in quantities ranging from 0.1 to 20 wt.%, and the uniformity of degreasing and the adhesion of the galvanized layer were evaluated through Dyne Test, T-bending Test, OM, SEM, and EDS analyses. The results indicated that the optimal degreasing solution composition consisted of NaOH (30 g/L), Na₂CO₃ (30 g/L), SLS (6 g/L), and room temperature additives (≤1 wt%).

As global warming accelerates, the transportation industry is increasing the use of lightweight materials with the goal of reducing carbon emissions. Magnesium is a suitable material, but its poor formability limits its use, so research is needed to improve it. Rare-earth elements are known to effectively control texture development, but their high cost limits commercial. In this study, changes in microstructure and texture were investigated by adding Pb, which is expected to have a similar effect as rare-earth elements. The material used is Mg-15wt%Pb alloy. Initial specimens were obtained by rolling at 773 K to a rolling reduction of 25% and heat treatment. Afterwards, plane strain compression was performed at 723 K with a strain rate of 5×10^-2s^-1 and a strain of -0.4 to -1.0. As a result, recrystallized grains were formed within the microstructure, and the main component of the texture changed from (0,0) to (30,26). The maximum axial density was initially 10.01, but decreased to 4.23 after compression.