• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.36 no.12
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• pp.1356-1363
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• 1999

Self-reinforced silicon carbide was prepared by hot pressing and the control of starting phases of raw materials and its microstructural characteristics was investigated. The specimens with self-reinforced microstructure were obtained from the compacts with mixed compositions of ${\alpha}$-and ${\beta}$-SiC powders. Self-reinforced microstructure which is composed of large dispersed grains with rod-like shape and matrix with small equiaxed grains was formed by the transformation to the ${\alpha}$-SiC with 4H polytype for ${\beta}$-SiC and anisotropic grain growth during the heat treatment. Of all speimens the values of volume fraction maximum length and aspect ratio for large grains with rode-like types were the highest at the specimen with 50 vol% ${\beta}$-SiC in the starting SiC powder and therefore this specimen showed the highest fracture toughness due to the crack deflection by rod-like grains during crack propagation.

• Laser Solutions
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.15-19
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• 2008

Electron beam (EB) weldability of pure grade Nb sheet was studied. One of Nb sheets was as-annealed and the other was cold rolled. Microstructures, Vickers hardness, and transverse weld tensile test were carried out for the base metal, the heat affected zone (HAZ) and weld metal. In the case of the EB welds made using the annealed Nb sheeet, fine equiaxed grains and coarse grains were dominant at the base metal and the HAZ, respectively, and columnar grains were observed at the weld metal. For the EB welds made using the cold rolled Nb sheet, elongated grains in the rolling direction at the base metal, and the microstructures of the weld metal and the HAZ are similar to those of the EB welds made using the annealed Nb sheet, respectively. For both annealed and cold rolled Nb sheet, the width of the HAZs are unusually wide in spite of using high density heat source, i.e. electron beam, and the grain sizes of both HAZs are similar. When tensile test was carried out using the transverse weld specimens, the failure occurred at the HAZ for both EB welds made using Nb sheets annealed and cold rolled, respectively and the tensile strengths of both specimens were 161MPa. Vickers hardness of EB welds made using annealed Nb was 56-57 Hv at both base metal and weld metal, 52-53 Hv at the HAZ. On the other hand, Vickers hardness of EB welds made using cold rolled Nb was 97-99 Hv at the base metal, but the hardness values of weld metal were similar to those obtained at the weld metal of annealed Nb.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.301-312
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• 2015

Corrosion of zirconium fuel cladding is known to limit the lifetime and reloading cycles of fuel in nuclear reactors. Oxide layers formed on ZIRLO4^{TM}$ cladding samples, after immersion for 300-hour and 50-day in a simulated primary water chemistry condition ($360^{\circ}C$ and 20 MPa), were analyzed by using the scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), in-situ transmission electron microscopy (in-situ TEM) with the focused ion beam (FIB) technique, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Both samples (immersion for 300 hours and 50 days) revealed the presence of the ZrO sub-oxide phase at the metal/oxide interface and columnar grains developed perpendicularly to the metal/oxide interface. Voids and micro-cracks were also detected near the water/oxide interface, while relatively large lateral cracks were found just above the less advanced metal/oxide interface. Equiaxed grains were mainly observed near the water/oxide interface.

• The Korean Journal of Ceramics
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.400-403
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• 1999

The mechanical and electrical properties of hot-pressed and annelaed $\beta$-SiC+39vol.% $ZrB_2$ electroconductive ceramic composites were investigated as a function of the liquid forming additives of $Al_2O_3+Y_2O_3$(6:4 wt%). In this microstructures, no reactions and elongated $\alpha$-SiC grains with equiaxed $ZrB_2$ grains were observed between $\beta$-SiC and $ZrB_2$. The properties of the $\beta$-SiC+39vol.%$ZrB_2$ composites with 4wt% $Al_2O_3+Y_2O_3$ at R.T. are as follows: fracture toughness is 6.37 MPa.m1/2, electical resistivity is $1.51\times10^{-4}\Omega \cdot\textrm{cm}$ and the relative density is 98.6% of the theoretical density. The fracture toughness of the $\beta$-SiC+39 vol.% $ZrB_2$ composites were weakly decreased with increasing amount of $Al_2O_3+Y_2O_3$ additives. Internal stresses due to the difference of $\beta$-SiC and $ZrB_2$ thermal expansion coefficient and elastic modulus mismatch appeared to contribute to fracture toughening in $\beta$-SiC+39vol.%$ZrB_2$ electroconductive ceramic composites.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2004

The microstructural changes of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy containing Sc during hot extrusion and post heat treatment were investigated. Two kinds of Al-Sc alloys with different alloying elements (B1, B2) were hot extruded to make T-shape bars at extrusion temperature of $380^{\circ}C$, then the bars were solution treated at $480^{\circ}C$ for 2hrs followed by artificial aging at $120^{\circ}C$ for 24hrs. The interior microstructure of as extruded bar consisted of elongated grains, however, fine equiaxed grains were also observed around surface. The microstructural gradient suggested that different restoration process could proceed during the hot extrusion. For B1 and B2, different grain growth behaviors were found around the surface during the post heat treatment. Rapid grain growth behavior was observed for B1 around the surface, however, it was not observed for B2. Orientation pinning, which was related with the evolution of preferred orientation, and precipitation were thought to be responsible for the rapid grain growth.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.2 s.273
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• pp.140-144
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• 2005

The microstructures and mechanical properties of Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystals (TZP) sintered bodies, which made by pressureless and spark plasma sintering techniques, were investigated using XRD, SEM, and TEM techniques. In the spark plasma sintered samples, the TZP grains were equiaxed type including many sub-grain boundaries regardless of sintering conditions. The biaxial strength of TZP having an average of 80 nm grains in diameter was high in value with 1025 MPa, but fracture toughness showed a low value due to the absence of a fracture toughening mechanism such as transformation toughening. In the Pressureless Sintered (PLSed) samples, the grain size of TZP was strongly dependent on the sintering temperature; i.e., it gradually increased as the sintering temperature increased. The value of fracture toughness increased as the grain size increased by the stress-induced phase transformation and Borne crack deflection.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.67-74
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• 1986

To investigate the effects of unreacted silicon on the $\alpha$/$\beta$transfornation variation of morphology and mechanical strength of Sintered Reaction Bonded Silicon Nitride the mixtures of $\alpha$-$Si_3N_4$ and Si powder and Reaction Bonded Silicon Nitride were heat treated. The heat-treatments were performed in Ar atmosphere in order to inhibit the nitridation of silicon. In the mixtures heat-trated at 1$700^{\circ}C$ the amount of $\beta$-TEX>$Si_3N_4$transformed from $\alpha$-TEX>$Si_3N_4$was sigmoidally increased and the equiaxed $\alpha$-TEX>$Si_3N_4$grains elongated with the amount of silicon and heat treating time. And large $\beta$-TEX>$Si_3N_4$grains grown into silicon were observed. On the other hand there was no change in the heat-treatment of pure $\alpha$-TEX>$Si_3N_4$In case of the heat-treatment of RBSN the same phenomena due to the silicon appearing from the decomposition of $\alpha$-Smatte and needle were observed. From the three point bending test the strength of the sintered specimens with the and without 5wt% silicon addition had 53Kg/$mm^2$ and 73Kg/$mm^2$ respectively.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.361-365
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• 2007

A deoxidized low-phosphorous copper processed by eight cycles of accumulative roll-bonding (ARB) was annealed at various temperatures ranging from 100 to $400^{\circ}C$. The annealed copper was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and tensile & hardness test. TEM observation revealed that the ultrafine grains developed by the ARB still remained up to $350^{\circ}C$, however above $400^{\circ}C$ they were replaced by equiaxed and coarse grains due to an occurrence of the static recrystallization. The hardness of the copper decreased slightly with the annealing temperature up to $350^{\circ}C$, however they dropped largely above $400^{\circ}C$. Annealing characteristics of the copper were compared with those of an oxygen free copper processed by ARB and subsequently annealed.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.42-51
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• 1994

6061Al-SiCP metal matrix composite materials(MMCs) were fabricated by injecting SiCP particles directly into the atomized spray. The main attraction of this technique is the rapid fabrication of semi-finished, composite products in a combined atomization, particulate injection(10 $\mu\textrm{m}$, 40 $\mu\textrm{m}$, SiCP) and deposition operation. Conclusions obtained are as follows; The microstructure of the unreinforced spray formed 6061Al alloy consisted of relatively fine(50 $\mu\textrm{m}$) equiaxed grains. By comparision, the microstructure of the I/M materials was segregated and consisted of relatively coarse(150 $\mu\textrm{m}$) grains. The probability of clustering of SiCP particles in co-sprayed metal matrix composites increased it ceramic particle size(SiCP) was reduced and the volume fraction was held constant. Analysis of overspray powders collected from the spray atomization and deposition experiments indicated that morphology of powders were nearly spherical and degree of powders sphercity was deviated due to composite with SiCp particles. Interfacial bonding between matrix and ceramics was improved by heat treatment and addition of alloying elements(Mg). Maximum hardness values [Hv: 165 kg/mm2 for Al-10 $\mu\textrm{m}$ SiCp Hv--159 kg/mm2 for Al-40 $\mu\textrm{m}$SiCp] were obtained through the solution heat treatment at $530^{\circ}C$ for 2 hrs and aging at $178^{\circ}C$, and there by the resistance were improved.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.317-321
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• 2012

In this study, Cu-5Ni-10Sn(wt%) spinodal alloy was manufactured by gas atomization spray forming, and the microstructural features and mechanical properties of Cu-5Ni-10Sn alloy have been investigated during homogenization, cold working and age-hardening. The spray formed Cu-5Ni-10Sn alloy consisted of an equiaxed microstructure with a mixture of solid solution ${\alpha}$-(CuNiSn) grains and lamellar-structure grains. Homogenization at $800^{\circ}C$ and subsequent rapid quenching formed a uniform solid solution ${\alpha}$-(CuNiSn) phase. Direct aging at $350^{\circ}C$ from the homogenized Cu-5Ni-10Sn alloy promoted the precipitation of finely distributed ${\gamma}$' or ${\gamma}-(Cu,Ni)_3Sn$ phase throughout the matrix, resulting in a significant increase in microhardness and tensile strength. Cold working prior to aging was effective in strengthening Cu-5Ni-10Sn alloy, which gave rise to a maximum tensile strength of 1165 MPa. Subsequent aging treatment slightly reduced the tensile strength to 1000-1100 MPa due to annealing effects.