• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.157-164
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• 1996

The AB5-type metal hydride electrodes using $(LM)Ni_{4.49}Co_{0.1}Mn_{0.205}Al_{0.205}$(LM : Lanthaniumrich Mischmetal) alloy powders(${\leq}200$mesh) which were coated with 25wt% copper in an acidic bath were prepared with or without addition of 10wt% PTFE as a binder. Prior to electrochemical measurements, the electrodes were sintered at $40^{\circ}C$ for 1 and 2hrs in vacuum with Mm(mischmetal) and sponge type Ti getters. The properties such as maximum capacity, cycle life and mechanical strength of the negative electrode have been investigated. The surface analysis of the electrode was also obtained before and after charge-discharge cycling using scanning electron microscope(SEM). From the observations of electrochemical behavior, it was found that the sintered electrode shows a lower maximum discharge capacity compared with non-sintered electrode but it shows a better cycle life. For the both electrodes with or without addition of PTFE binder, the values of mechanical strength were obtained, and their values increased with increasing sintering time. However, there is little difference of discharge capacity for both electrodes.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1002-1011
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• 2006

In this study, we describe the conventional hot pressing (CHP) of layered $Al-B_4C$ composites and their characterization. The matrix alloy Al-5 wt.%Cu was prepared from elemental powder mixtures. The metal and B4C powders were mixed to produce either $Al-Cu-10vol.%B_4C$ or $Al-Cu-30vol.%B_4C$ combinations. Then, these powder mixtures were stacked as layers in the hot pressing die to form a two-layered composite. Hot pressing was carried out under nitrogen atmosphere to produce $30\times40\times5mm$ specimens. Microstructural features and age hardening characteristics of composites were determined by specimens cut longitudinally. The flexural strength of both layered composites and their monolithic counterparts were investigated via three point bending tests. In the case of layered specimens of both $10vol.%B_4C$ and $30vol.%B_4C$ containing layers were loaded for three-point test. The results show that a homogeneous distribution of $B_4C$ particles in the matrix alloy which is free of pores, can be obtained by CHP method. The ageing behavior of the composites was found to be influenced by the reinforced materials, i.e. higher hardness values were reached in 8 hrs for the composites than that for the matrix alloy. Flexural strength test showed that two-layered composites exhibited improved damage tolerance depending on layer arrangement. Microstructural investigation of the fracture surfaces of the bending specimens was performed by means of scanning electron microscope (SEM). While layer with lower reinforcement content exhibited large plastic deformation under loading, the other with higher reinforcement content exhibited less plastic deformation.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.520-524
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• 2011

Porous W with controlled pore characteristics was fabricated by a freeze-drying process. $WO_3$ powder and camphene were used as the source materials of W and sublimable vehicles, respectively. Camphene slurries with $WO_3$ contents of 10 and 15 vol% were prepared by milling at $50^{\circ}C$ with a small amount of oligomeric polyester dispersant. Freezing of a slurry was done in a Teflon cylinder attached to a copper bottom plate cooled at $-25^{\circ}C$ while the growth direction of the camphene was unidirectionally controlled. Pores were generated subsequently by sublimation of the camphene during drying in air for 48 h. The green body was hydrogen-reduced at $800^{\circ}C$ for 30 min and sintered in a furnace at $900^{\circ}C$ for 1 h under a hydrogen atmosphere. Microstructural observation revealed that all of the sintered samples were composed of only W phase and showed large pores which were aligned parallel to the camphene growth direction. The porosity and pore size increased with increasing camphene content. The difference in the pore characteristics depending on the slurry concentration may be explained by the degree of powder rearrangement in the slurry. The results strongly suggest that a porous metal with the required pore characteristics can be successfully fabricated by a freeze-drying process using metal oxide powders.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.12
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• pp.941-946
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• 2002

Both Cu and Cu-oxide nanopowders have great potential as conductive paste, solid lubricant, effective catalysts and super conducting materials because of their unique properties compared with those of commercial micro-sized ones. In this study, Cu and Cu-oxide nanopowders were prepared by Pulsed Wire Evaporation (PWE) method which has been very useful for producing nanometer-sized metal, alloy and ceramic powders. In this process, the metal wire is explosively converted into ultrafine particles under high electric pulse current (between $10^4$ and $10^{ 6}$ $A/mm^2$) within a micro second time. To prevent full oxidations of Cu powder, the surface of powder has been slightly passivated with thin CuO layer. X-ray diffraction analysis has shown that pure Cu nanopowders were obtained at $N_2$ atmosphere. As the oxygen partial pressure increased in $N_2$ atmosphere, the gradual phase transformation occurred from Cu to $Cu_2$O and finally CuO nanopowders. The spherical Cu nanopowders had a uniform size distribution of about 100nm in diameter. The Cu-oxide nanopowders were less than 70nm with sphere-like shape and their mean particle size was 54nm. Smaller size of Cu-oxide nanopowders compared with that of the Cu nanopowders results from the secondary explosion of Cu nanopowders at oxygen atmosphere. Thin passivated oxygen layer on the Cu surface has been proved by XPS and HRPD.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.331-335
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• 1999

The transition metal oxides have been of interest as bifunctional electrocatalysts for bifunctional air electrodes. The amorphous citrate precursor (ACP) process has been optimized to prepare perovskite (La0.6Ca0.4CoO3) and pyrochlore (Pb2Ru2O6) powders with high surface area, and consequent improvement of The electrocatalytic performance in an air electrode with thermal treatment. PTFE -bonded gas diffusion electrodes loaded with perovskitc and pyrochlore catalysts showed good bifunctional performances. The electrodes were fairly stable up to 100 hour in the galvanostatic mode at ${\pm}25mA/cm^2$, from which these electrodes offer promise as practical bifunctional air electrodes.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.140-144
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• 2006

We fabricated the YBCO films on single crystal $LaAlO_3$ substrates via a metal organic deposition (MOD) process. In the process, $Y_2Ba_1Cu_1O_x$ and $Ba_3Cu_5O_8$ powders were dissolved in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) followed by calcining and firing heat treatments. To evaluate the effects of the firing temperature on YBCO phase formation and critical properties, the films were fired at $750^{\circ}C,\;775^{\circ}C\;and\;800^{\circ}C$ after calcining at $430^{\cric}C$. Microstructure observation indicated that a crack-free surface formed and a strong biaxial texture was developed. The FWHM of out-of-plane texture was measured to be in the range of $4.3^{\cric}-7.0^{\circ}$ for all the films. When the YBCO film was fired at $775^{\cric}C$, it had the highest critical properties: 88.5 K of critical temperature and 16 A/cm-width of critical current ($1MA/cm^2$ as critical current density). On the other hand, those properties were degraded as firing at $750^{\circ}C\;and\;800^{\circ}C$. It is considered that the improved critical values are partly owing to dense and homogeneous microstructure, strong texture, and high oxygen content.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.426-427
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• 2005

Advanced Spent Fuel Conditioning Process (ACP) is a pyrochemical process in which the spent fuel of PWR is transformed into the uranic metal ingot. Through this process, which has been developed in KAERI since 1998, the radioactivity, the radiotoxicity, the heat and the volume of the PWR spent fuel are reduced by a quarter of the original. To demonstrate a lab-scale process and extract the data for the later pilot-scale process, a demonstration facility of ACP (ACPF) is under construction and the lab-scale demonstration is slated for 2006. To establish the safeguardability of ACPF, a safeguards system including a neutron counter based on non-destructive assay, which is named as ACP Safeguards Neutron Counter (ASNC), the ACP Safeguards Surveillance System (ASSS) which consists of two neutron monitors and five IAEA cameras, and Laser Induced Breakdown System (LIBS) have been developed and are ready to be installed at ACPF. The target materials of ACP to assay with ASNC are categorized into three types among which the first is the uranic metal ingot, the second is the salt waste and the last is $UO_2$ and $U_{3}O_8$ powders, rod cuts and hulls. The Pu content of process nuclear materials can be accounted with ASNC. The ASSS is integrated in the ACP Intelligent Surveillance Software (AISS) in which the IAEA camera images and background signals at the rear doors of ACPF are displayed. The composition of special nuclear materials of ACP can be measured with LIBS which can be a supporting measurement tool for ASNC. The conceptual picture of safeguards system of ACPF is shown in Fig. 1.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.408-414
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• 2018

This study investigates the microstructure and wear properties of cermet (ceramic + metal) coating materials manufactured using high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) process. Three types of HVOF coating layers are formed by depositing WC-12Co, WC-20Cr-7Ni, and Cr3C2-20NiCr (wt.%) powders on S45C steel substrate. The porosities of the coating layers are $1{\pm}0.5%$ for all three specimens. Microstructural analysis confirms the formation of second carbide phases of $W_2C$, $Co_6W_6C$, and $Cr_7C_3$ owing to decarburizing of WC phases on WC-based coating layers. In the case of WC-12Co coating, which has a high ratio of $W_2C$ phase with high brittleness, the interface property between the carbide and the metal binder slightly decreases. In the $Cr_3C_2-20CrNi$ coating layer, decarburizing almost does not occur, but fine cavities exist between the splats. The wear loss occurs in the descending order of $Cr_3C_2-20NiCr$, WC-12Co, and WC-20Cr-7Ni, where WC-20Cr-7Ni achieves the highest wear resistance property. It can be inferred that the ratio of the carbide and the binding properties between carbide-binder and binder-binder in a cermet coating material manufactured with HVOF as the primary factors determine the wear properties of the cermet coating material.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.412-420
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• 2004

The purpose of the present study is to determine an optimum composition using cheaper powders keeping with high performance of hard rock cutting diamond saw blade. With 50Fe-20(Cu . Sn)-30Co specimen, a part of Co was replaced by Ni(5%, 10%, and 15%, respectively). These specimens were hot pressed and sintered for predetermined time at various temperature. Sintering is performed by two different methods of temperature controlled method and specimen dimension controlled method. In order to determine the property of the sintered diamond saw blade, 3 point bending tester, X-ray diffractometer, and SEM were used. As the Co in the bond alloy was replaced by Ni, the hardness of the specimen increased. Thus the 50Fe-20(CuㆍSn)-15Co-15Ni specimen showed the maximum hardness of 104(HRB). The results of 3 point bending test showed that flexure strength decreased along with increase in Ni content. This is attributed to the formation of intermetallic compound(Ni$_{x}$Sn) determined by X-ray diffraction. The fracture surface after 3 point bending test showed that diamond was fractured in the specimen containing 0%, 5%, and 10%Ni, and the fracture occurred at the interface between diamond and matrix in the specimen containing 15%Ni. The cutting ability test showed that the abrasive property was not changed in the specimen containing 0%, 5%, and 10%Ni. The optimum composition determined in this study is 50Fe-20(CuㆍSn)-20Co-10Ni.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.290-296
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• 2001

Fin metal particles of uniform shape, narrow size distribution and high purity are increasingly needed for specific uses in high tech industrial applications. Polyol process for the preparation of monodispersed cobalt powders in micron size is described. In this process in inorganic precursor is reduced in liquid polyol under controlled conditions. The reducing agent is the polyol itself and reaction parameters such as the traction temperature, reaction time, addition of protective agent and concentration of the precursor are varied for controling particles size, shape and agglomeration of the metal particles. An optimum synthesis condition was achieved at E.G/DiE/G volume ratio 1:4,Co$(OH)_{2}$polyol molar ratio 0.08~0.32 reaction temperature $210^{\circ}C$, PVP/Co$(OH)_{2}$ molar ratio 0.4.