• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.206-211
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• 2019

Silicon carbide (SiC) thin films become superhard when they have microstructures of nanocolumnar crystalline grains (NCCG) with an intergranular amorphous SiC matrix. We investigated the role of ion bombardment and deposition temperature in forming the NCCG in SiC thin films. A direct-current (DC) unbalanced magnetron sputtering method was used with pure Ar as sputtering gas to deposit the SiC thin films at fixed target power of 200 W and chamber pressure of 0.4 Pa. The Ar ion bombardment of the deposited films was conducted by applying a negative DC bias voltage 0-100 V to the substrate during deposition. The deposition temperature was varied between room temperature and $450^{\circ}C$. Above a critical bias voltage of -80 V, the NCCG formed, whereas, below it, the SiC films were amorphous. Additionally, a minimum thermal energy (corresponding to a deposition temperature of $450^{\circ}C$ in this study) was required for the NCCG formation. Transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and glancing angle X-ray diffraction analysis (GAXRD) were conducted to probe the samples' structural characteristics. Of those methods, Raman spectroscopy was a particularly efficient non-destructive tool to analyze the formation of the SiC NCCG in the film, whereas GAXRD was insufficiently sensitive.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.279-286
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• 2018

Austenitic stainless steels used in nuclear power plants mainly use pipes made of seamless pipes, which depend on imports. The manufacturing process and high cost are some of the problems associated with seamless pipes. Therefore, in this study, the corrosion characteristics of the seamless pipe and the SAW pipe were assessed to determine the safety and reliability of the SAW pipe in a bid to replace the seamless pipe. Microstructure was analyzed using an optical microscope and the degree of hardness was measured using a Rockwell B scale. Intergranular corrosion resistance was evaluated by ASTM A262 Practice A, C, and E methods. The degree of sensitization was determined using a DL-EPR test. Anodic polarization test was performed in deaerated 1% NaCl solution at $30^{\circ}C$ and the U-bend method was used to evaluate the SCC resistance in 0.01 M $Na_2S_4O_6$ at $340^{\circ}C$ and 40% NaOH solution at $290^{\circ}C$. Weld metal of the SAW pipe specimen showed relatively high degree of sensitization and intergranular corrosion rate. However, annealing to SAW pipes improved the corrosion properties in comparison to that of the seamless pipe.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.228-237
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• 2019

The crack growth responses of as-received and as-welded Alloy 600/182 and Alloy 690/152 welds to constant loading were measured by a direct current potential drop method using compact tension specimens in primary water at $325^{\circ}C$ simulating the normal operating conditions of a nuclear power plant. The as-received Alloy 600 showed crack growth rates (CGRs) between $9.6{\times}10^{-9}mm/s$ and $3.8{\times}10^{-8}mm/s$, and the as-welded Alloy 182 had CGRs between $7.9{\times}10^{-8}mm/s$ and $7.5{\times}10^{-7}mm/s$ within the range of the applied loadings. These results indicate that Alloys 600 and 182 are susceptible to cracking. The average CGR of the as-welded Alloy 152 was found to be $2.8{\times}10^{-9}mm/s$. Therefore, Alloy 152 was proven to be highly resistant to cracking. The as-received Alloy 690 showed no crack growth even with an inhomogeneous banded microstructure. The cracking mode of Alloys 600 and 182 was an intergranular cracking; however, Alloy 152 was revealed to have a mixed (intergranular + transgranular) cracking mode. It appears that the Cr concentration and the microstructural features significantly affect the cracking resistance and the cracking behavior of Ni-base alloys in PWR primary water.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.43-63
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• 2022

The aim of this review is to communicate some essential knowledge of the underlying mechanism of the corrosion of structural containment alloys during molten salt reactor operation in the context of prospective online monitoring in future MSR installations. The formation of metal halide species and the progression of their concentration in the molten salt do reflect containment corrosion, tracing the depletion of alloying metals at the alloy salt interface will assure safe conditions during reactor operation. Even though the progress of alloying metal halides concentrations in the molten salt do strongly understate actual corrosion rates, their prospective 1^st order kinetics followed by near-linearly increase is attributed to homogeneous matrix corrosion. The service life of the structural containment alloy is derived from homogeneous matrix corrosion and near-surface void formation but less so from intergranular cracking (IGC) and pitting corrosion. Online monitoring of corrosion species is of particular interest for molten chloride systems since besides the expected formation of chromium chloride species CrCl₂ and CrCl₃, other metal chloride species such as FeCl₂, FeCl₃, MoCl₂, MnCl₂ and NiCl₂ will form, depending on the selected structural alloy. The metal chloride concentrations should follow, after an incubation period of about 10,000 hours, a linear projection with a positive slope and a steady increase of < 1 ppm per day. During the incubation period, metal concentration show 1^st order kinetics and increasing linearly with time^1/2. Ideally, a linear increase reflects homogeneous matrix corrosion, while a sharp increase in the metal chloride concentration could set a warning flag for potential material failure within the projected service life, e.g. as result of intergranular cracking or pitting corrosion. Continuous monitoring of metal chloride concentrations can therefore provide direct information about the mechanism of the ongoing corrosion scenario and offer valuable information for a timely warning of prospective material failure.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.77-85
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• 2023

In this study, the mechanical properties of the Al-Mg-X (X=Cr, Si) alloy, which clearly showed the influence of the specimen and grain size, were investigated by changing the specimen size extensively. In addition, the effect on the specimen size, grain size and aging condition on the mechanical properties of the grain refining alloy according to the addition of Cr was clarified, and the relationship between these factors was studied. As the specimen size decreased, the yield stress decreased and the fracture elongation increased. This change was evident in alloys with coarse grain sizes. Through FEM analysis, it was confirmed that the plastic deformation was localized in the parallel part of specimen S2. Therefore, when designing a tensile specimen of plate material, the W/L balance should be considered along with the radius of curvature of the shoulder. In the case of under-aged materials of alloys with coarse grain size, the fracture pattern changed from intergranular fracture to transgranular fracture as W/d decreased, and δ increased. This is due to the decrease in the binding force between grains due to the decrease in W. In the specimen with W/d > 40 or more, intergranular fracture occurred, and local elongation did not appear. Under-aged materials of alloys with fine grain size always had transgranular fracture over a wide range of W/d = 70~400. As W/d decreased, δ increased, but the change was not as large as that of alloys with coarse grain sizes. Compared to the under-aged material, the peak-aged material did not show significant dependence on the specimen size of σ_0.2 and δ.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2004

In this study, dissolution characteristics of four types of commercial calcium phosphate ceramics were investigated in distilled water with respect to chemical composition and microstructure. For all samples, no significant damage was observed after 3 days of immersion. Following the 7 days of immersion, surface dissolution of the ceramics containing a crystalline phase susceptible to water such as TCP, even pure hydroxyapatite, was initiated at grain boundaries and the dissolution was extended interior to the material along the grain boundaries. In the considerably dissolved area, there was grain separation followed by the formation of 20 $\mu\textrm{m}$ of cavities. In at least one case, the residual pores on the surface appeared to initiate dissolution. In a dissolved area, a crack during the fracture propagates along the grain boundaries resulting in intergranular fracture, while transgranular fracture occurs in a dense area without significant dissolution.

• Proceedings of the Korea Association of Crystal Growth Conference
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• 1997.06a
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• pp.19-22
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• 1997

The surface modificaion of alumina by $Al_2$O$_3$/SiC nanocomposite coating was studied in terms of processing and microstructure. A powder slurry of 5 vol% SiC composition was dipcoated onto presintered alumina bodies and pressurelessly sintered at 1$700^{\circ}C$ for 2 h in $N_2$. The used of organic binder and plasticizer in the slurry preparation, and the control of the density of presintered alumina body were found to be necessary to avoid cracking and warping during processing. The nanocomposite coating well bonded to the alumina body with thickness about 110 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. The average grain size of coating (2 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$) was much finer than that of alumina body (13 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$). Fracture surface observations revealed mostly transgranular fracture for the coating, whereas intergranular fracture for the alumina body. Some pores (about 6%) were observed in the coating layer, although the alumina body showed fully dense microstructure.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.306-310
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• 1992

Effects of hafnium, boron and zirconium on the ductility of Ni$_3$(Al, Fe) intermetallic compounds were studied using tensile test and SIMS analysis. Ni$_3$(Al, Fe) alloy with 0.1 at.% Hf, 0.05 at.% B and 0.1 at.% Zr additions showed maximum elongations of about 30% at 300K, 10% at 300K and 14% at 473K, respectively. The fracture mode of the alloy without the additive was the mixture of intergranular and transgranular fractures, but the addition of Hf, Zr or B changed the fracture mode to transgranular only. SIMS analysis showed that the beneficial effects of Hf, Zr or B segregation on the grain boundary strength are consistent with the grain boundary cohesion theory.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2002.10b
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• pp.211-212
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• 2002

Friction and wear of pressureless sintered Ti(C,N)-WC ceramics were studied using a ball-on-reciprocating flat apparatus in open air. The silicon nitride ball and the cemented carbide (WC-Co) ball were used against the Ti(C,N)-WC plate samples. The friction coefficients of the Ti(C,N)-WC samples against the silicon nitride ball and the cemented carbide ball were about 0.57 and 0.3, respectively. The wear coefficient of the sample without WC addition was 5 times as large as that of the sample with 10 mole % WC addition when tested against the silicon nitride ball under 98 N. The higher wear coefficient of Ti(C,N)-0WC was explained in part by larger grain size. Wear occurred mainly by grain dislodgment after intergranular cracking mainly caused by the accumulated stress within the grains.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.48-60
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• 1993

1974년에 유럽에서 시작된 PISC(Program for the Inspection of Steel Components ; PISC-I, II, III) 수행결과나 1980년대초 실시된 미국의 BWR 원전 배관계통의 입계응력부식균열(IGSCC ; Intergranular Stress Corrosion Cracks)검사결과에서 나타난 바와 같이 기존의 규격 요건과 절차에 따른 원자력발전소 기기에 대한 초음파탐상검사는 그 실효성에 많은 문제점이 제기되었다. 따라서, 원전기기의 건전성 및 초음파탐상검사 결과의 신뢰도를 보증하기 위한 각종 연구가 진행되고 여러 방안이 모색되어 왔다. 그 결과, 원전 가동중검사 규격에 "초음파탐상검사자 자격인정 요건"과 "초음파탐상검사 시스템(검사자, 장비 및 절차서)에 대한 기량검증 요건"이 새로이 부가되었다. 본고에서는 초음파탐상검사 결과의 신뢰도 확보에 있어 필수불가결한 요건인 원전기기 초음파 탐상검사 시스템에 대한 기량검증 요건을 자세히 기술한다.