• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.53-62
• /
• 2024

In this paper, an experimental study on the strengths and material properties of concrete manufactured by using coal gangue, as a fine aggregate was conducted. Experimental parameters included coal gangue aggregate contents as a replacement of fine aggregate by 50 % and 100 % (by volume) and fly ash contents. The water-binder ratio was fixed at 0.38. In addition, 30 % of the OPC binder was replaced with fly ash in some mixtures. Test of the unit weight, compressive, split tensile, and flexural tensile strength of concrete were performed and test results were analyzed. Unit weight, compressive strength, split tensile strength, and flexural tensile strength decreased as the coal recycled aggregates increased. In addition, TGA and SEM experiments, which are microstructure experiments, were conducted to analyze thermogravimetric analysis and ITZ by section.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.49-57
• /
• 2024

We investigated the changes in microstructure and surface roughness of the compound layer of GC250D gray cast iron, commonly used in brake discs, during gas nitriding. The gas atmosphere of the nitriding process was controlled with a hydrogen partial pressure of 49.5%, and the process was conducted at a nitriding temperature of 520℃ with various process times. As the nitriding process time of the GC250D material increased, both the depth of hardening and the thickness of the compound layer increased, with a maximum surface hardness of approximately 1265 HV_0.1 was measured. Additionally, the surface roughness increased with the process time. Phase analysis of the compound layer revealed an increase in the proportion of the γ' phase as the nitriding process time increased. Changes in the formation of the compound layer were observed depending on the orientation of graphite within the material, leading to the formation of wedges. Therefore, the increase in surface roughness appears to be attributed to the uneven compounds, the expansion of the compound layer and wedges formed on the surface during the nitriding process.

• Advances in materials Research
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.183-194
• /
• 2024

D3 tools steel and 440C stainless steel (SS) are normally being employed for application such as knife blade and cutting tools. These steels are iron alloys which have high carbon and high chromium content. In this study, lab work focused on the microstructural and corrosion behavior of D3 tools steel and 440C SS after went through heat treatment processes. Heat treatments for both steels were started with normalizing at 1020 ℃, continue with hardening at 1000 ℃followed by oil quenching. Cryogenic treatment was carried out in liquid nitrogen for 24 hours. The addition of cryogenic heat treatment is believed to increase the hardness and corrosion resistance for steels. Both samples were then tempered at two different tempering temperatures, 160 ℃ and 426 ℃. For corrosion test, the samples were immersed in NaCl solution for 30 days to study the corrosion behavior of D3 tool steel and 440C SS after heat treatment. The mechanical properties of these steels have been investigated using Rockwell hardness machine before heat treatment, after heat treatment (before corrosion) and after corrosion test. Microstructure observation of samples was carried out by scanning electron microscopy. The corrosion rate of these steels was calculated after the corrosion test completed. From the results, the highest hardness is observed for D3 tool steel which tempered at 160 ℃(54.1 HRC). In terms of microstructural analysis, primary carbide and pearlite in the as-received samples transform to tempered martensite and cementite after heat treatment process. From this research, for corrosion test, heat treated 440C SS sample tempered with 426 ℃possessed the excellent corrosion resistance with corrosion rate 0.2808 mm/year.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.285-295
• /
• 2024

This study investigated the impact of accelerated carbonation on Ordinary Portland Cement(OPC) paste that had undergone steam curing at 500℃·hr. Two carbonation environments were examined: atmospheric carbonation(1atm, 20% CO₂) and pressurized carbonation(5atm, 99% CO₂). Chemical analysis using X-ray diffraction(XRD) and Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR) were conducted, along with physical characterization via scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and compressive strength testing. Results indicated that atmospheric carbonation with 20% CO₂ concentration significantly densified the internal microstructure of the OPC paste, leading to enhanced compressive strength. Conversely, pressurized carbonation at 5atm with 99% CO₂ concentration resulted in rapid densification of the surface structure, which hindered CO₂ diffusion into the sample. This limited the extent of carbonation and prevented the improvement of physical properties.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.56 no.7
• /
• pp.2444-2451
• /
• 2024

This work demonstrates a new sol-gel approach for synthesizing PbO₂-doped zirconia using zircon mineral precursors. The streamlined methodology enables straightforward fabrication of the doped zirconia composites. Comprehensive materials characterization was performed using XRD, SEM, and TEM techniques to analyze the crystal structure, microstructure, and morphology. Quantitative analysis of the XRD data provided insights into the nanoscale crystallite sizes achieved, along with their relationship to lattice imperfections. Furthermore, the gamma-ray shielding capacity for the PbO₂-doped zirconia samples was estimated by the Monte Carlo simulation, which proves an increase in the gamma ray shielding properties by raising the Pb concentration. The linear attenuation coefficient increased between 0.467 and 0.499 cm^-1 (at 0.662 MeV) by increasing the Pb content between 11 and 21 wt%. By increasing the Pb content to 21 wt%, the synthesized composites' lead equivalent thickness reaches 2.49 cm. The radiation shielding properties for the synthesized composites revealed a remarkable performance against low and intermediate γ-ray photons, with radiation shielding capacity of 37.3 % and 21.4 % at 0.662 MeV and 2.506 MeV, respectively. As a result, the developed composites can be employed as an alternative shielding material in hospitals and radioactive zones.

• Archives of Metallurgy and Materials
• /
• v.64 no.2
• /
• pp.551-557
• /
• 2019

The dispersion of nanoparticles in the host matrix is a novel approach to enhance the thermoelectric performance. In this work, we incorporate the TiC (x = 0, 1 and 2 wt.%) nanoparticles into a p-type Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ matrix, and their effects on microstructure and thermoelectric properties were systematically investigated. The existence of TiC contents in a base matrix was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. The grain size decreases with increasing the addition of TiC content due to grain boundary hardening where the dispersed nanoparticles acted as pinning points in the entire matrix. The electrical conductivity significantly decreased and the Seebeck coefficient was slightly enhanced, which attributes to the decrease in carrier concentration by the addition of TiC content. Meanwhile, the lowest thermal conductivity of 0.97 W/mK for the 2 wt.% TiC nanocomposite sample, which is ~16% lower than 0 wt.% TiC sample. The maximum figure of merit of 0.90 was obtained at 350 K for the 0 wt.% TiC sample due to high electrical conductivity. Moreover, the Vickers hardness was improved with increase the addition of TiC contents.

• Archives of Metallurgy and Materials
• /
• v.64 no.2
• /
• pp.617-622
• /
• 2019

This study investigated the effect of T6 heat treatment on the microstructure and scratch wear behavior of hypoeutectic Al-12wt.%Si alloy manufactured by extrusion. Microstructural observation identified spherical eutectic Si phases before and after the heat treatment of alloys (F, T6). Phase analysis confirmed Al matrix and Si phase as well as Al₂Cu and Al₃Ni, Mg₂Si in both alloys. In particular, Al₂Cu was finer and more evenly distributed in T6 alloy. This resulted in Vickers hardness of T6 alloy that was 2.3 times greater compared to F alloy. The scratch wear test was conducted using constant load scratch test (CLST) mode and multi-pass scratch test (MPST) mode. The scratch coefficient and worn out volume obtained by such were used to evaluate wear properties before and after heat treatment. In the case of T6 alloy, its scratch coefficient was lower than F alloy in all load ranges. After 15 repeated tests to measure worn out volume, F alloy and T6 alloy measured 1.2×10^-1 mm³ and 7.8×10^-2 mm³, respectively. In other words, the wear resistance of T6 alloy were confirmed to be better than those of F alloy. In addition, this study attempted to identify the microstructural factors that contribute to the better scratch wear resistance of T6 alloy and wear mechanism from surface and cross-section observations after the wear tests.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
• /
• v.37 no.5
• /
• pp.207-214
• /
• 2024

This study examines the effects of post-oxidation treatment on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of GC250 cast iron. The nitriding process was conducted at 570℃ for 180 minutes with a fixed nitriding potential (Kn) of 1.5, followed by post-oxidation at 450℃, 500℃, and 550℃ for 120 minutes. The post-oxidized specimens showed increased surface hardness and case depth compared to the nitrided specimens, with a maximum surface hardness of approximately 890 HV0.1. The oxidation process increased the thickness of the nitrided layer by more than 3 ㎛, with the oxide layer thickness reaching up to 2.5㎛ as the oxidation temperature increased. XRD analysis identified the presence of ε-phase, γ'-phase, and Fe₃O⁴ phase on the surface. Polarization tests revealed that the specimen treated at the highest oxidation temperature had a corrosion current density of 20.26 ㎂/cm² and a corrosion potential of -0.22V, indicating enhanced corrosion resistance compared to the nitrided specimen. This improvement is attributed to the formation and increased thickness of the oxide layer, which enhances corrosion resistance. In conclusion, the oxide layer formed through post-oxidation treatment significantly improves the corrosion resistance of GC250 cast iron, with the effect becoming more pronounced at higher oxidation temperatures.

• Archives of Metallurgy and Materials
• /
• v.66 no.3
• /
• pp.699-702
• /
• 2021

Effect of Cu addition on oxide growth of Al-7 mass%Mg alloy at high temperature was investigated. As-cast microstructures of Al-7 mass%Mg and Al-7 mass%Mg-1 mass%Cu alloys showed α-Al dendrites and area of secondary particles. The 1 mass%Cu addition into Al-7 mass%Mg alloy formed Mg₃₂(Al, Cu)₄₉ ternary phase with β-Al₃Mg₂. The total fraction of two Mg-containing phases in Cu-added alloy was higher than the β-Al₃Mg₂ fraction in Cu-free alloy. From measured weight gains depending on time at 500℃ under an air atmosphere, it was shown that all samples exhibited significant weight gains depending on time. Al-7mass%Mg-1mass%Cu alloy showed the relatively increased oxidation rate when compared with Cu-free alloy. All the oxidized cross-sections throughout the entire oxidation time showed coarse and dark areas regarded as oxides grown from the surface to inside, but bigger oxidized areas were formed in the Al-7mass%Mg-1mass%Cu alloy containing higher fraction of Mg-based phases in the as-cast microstructure. As a result of compositional analysis on the oxide clusters, it was found that the oxide clusters contained Mg-based oxides formed through internal oxidation during a long time exposure to oxidizing environments.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2017

Cobalt silicide was used as a counter electrode in order to confirm its reliability in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) devices. 100 nm-Co/300 nm-Si/quartz was formed by an evaporator and cobalt silicide was formed by vacuum heat treatment at $700^{\circ}C$ for 60 min to form approximately 350 nm-CoSi. This process was followed by etching in $80^{\circ}C$-30% $H_2SO_4$ to remove the cobalt residue on the cobalt silicide surface. Also, for the comparison against Pt, we prepared a 100 nm-Pt/glass counter electrode. Cobalt silicide was used for the counter electrode in order to confirm its reliability in DSSC devices and maintained for 0, 168, 336, 504, 672, and 840 hours at $80^{\circ}C$. The photovoltaic properties of the DSSCs employing cobalt silicide were confirmed by using a simulator and potentiostat. Cyclic-voltammetry, field emission scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectrometry analyses were used to confirm the catalytic activity, microstructure, and composition, respectively. The energy conversion efficiency (ECE) as a function of time and ECE of the DSSC with Pt and CoSi counter electrodes were maintained for 504 hours. However, after 672 hours, the ECEs decreased to a half of their initial values. The results of the catalytic activity analysis showed that the catalytic activities of the Pt and CoSi counter electrodes decreased to 64% and 57% of their initial values, respectively(after 840 hours). The microstructure analysis showed that the CoSi layer improved the durability in the electrolyte, but because the stress concentrates on the contact surface between the lower quartz substrate and the CoSi layer, cracks are formed locally and flaking occurs. Thus, deterioration occurs due to the residual stress built up during the silicidation of the CoSi counter electrode, so it is necessary to take measures against these residual stresses, in order to ensure the reliability of the electrode.