• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.255-258
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• 2014

Zirconium boride is an artificial or which is rarely found in the nature. $ZrB_2$ is popular in the hard material industry because it has a high melting point, excellent mechanical properties and chemical stability. There are two known methods to synthesize $ZrB_2$. The first involves direct reaction between Zr and B, and the second is by reduction of the metal halogen. However, these two methods are known to be unsuitable for mass production. SHS(Self-propagating High-temperature Synthesis) is an efficient and economic method for synthesizing hard materials because it uses exothermic reactions. In this study, $ZrB_2$ was successfully synthesized by subjecting $ZrO_2$, Mg and $B_2O_3$ to SHS. Because of the high combustion temperature and rapid combustion, in conjunction with the stoichiometric ratio of $ZrO_2$, Mg and $B_2O_3$; single phase $ZrB_2$ was not synthesized. In order to solve the temperature problem, Mg and NaCl additives were investigated as diluents. From the experiments it was found that both diluents effectively stabilized the reaction and combustion regime. The final product, made under optimum conditions, was single-phase $ZrB_2$ of $0.1-0.9{\mu}m$ particle size.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.27-37
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• 2017

In this study, an artificial solar simulator composed of a 2.5 kW Xe-Arc lamp and mirror reflector was used to carry out the solar thermal two step thermochemical water decomposition cycle which can produce high efficiency continuous hydrogen production. Through various operating conditions, the change of hydrogen production due to the possibility of a dual-zone reactor and heat recovery were experimentally analyzed. Based on the reaction temperature of Thermal-Reduction step and Water-Decomposition step at $1,400^{\circ}C$ and $1,000^{\circ}C$ respectively, the hydrogen production decreased by 23.2% under the power off condition, and as a result of experiments using heat recovery technology, the hydrogen production increased by 33.8%. Therefore, when a thermochemical two-step water decomposition cycle is conducted using a dual-zone reactor with heat recovery, it is expected that the cycle can be operated twice over a certain period of time and the hydrogen production amount is increased by at least 53.5% compared to a single reactor.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2013

A dense mixed ionic and electronic conducting ceramic membrane is one of the most promising materials because it can be used for separation of oxygen from the mixture gas. The $ABO_3$ perovskite structure shows high chemical stability at high temperatures under reduction and oxidation atmospheres. $BaCo_{1-x-y}Fe_xZr_yO_{3-{\delta}}$ (BCFZ) was well-known material as high mechanical strength, low thermal conductivity and stability in the high valence state. Glycine Nitrate Process (GNP) is rapid and effective method for powder synthesis using glycine as a fuel and show higher product crystallinity compared to solid state reaction and citrate-EDTA method. BCFZ was fabricated by modified glycine nitrate process. In order to control the burn-up reaction, $NH_4NO_3$ was used as extra nitrate. According to X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) results, BCFZ was single phase regardless of Zr dopants from y=0.1 to 0.3 on B sites. The green compacts were sintered at $1200^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours. Oxygen permeability, methane partial oxidation rate and hydrogen production ability of the membranes were characterized by using Micro Gas Chromatography (Micro GC) under various condition. The high oxygen permeation flux of BCFZ 1-451 was about $1ml{\cdot}cm^{-2}s^{-1}$. Using the humidified Argon gas, BCFZ 1-433 produced hydrogen about $1ml{\cdot}cm^{-2}s^{-1}$.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2013

Two-step thermochemical cycle using ferrite-oxide($Fe_2O_4$) device was investigated. The $H_2O$(g) was converted into $H_2$ in the first experiment which was performed using a dish type solar thermal system. However the experiment was lasted only for 2 cycles because the metal oxide device was sintered and broken down. Another problem was that the reaction was taken place mainly on a side of the metal oxide device. The m-$ZrO_2$, which was widely known as a material preventing sintering, was applied on the metal oxide device. The ferrite loading rate and the thickness of the metal oxide device were increased from 10.67wt% to 20wt% and from 10mm to 15mm, respectively. The chemical reactor having two inlets was designed in order to supply the reactants uniformly to the metal oxide device. The second-experiment was lasted for 5 cycles, which was for 6 hours. The total amount of the $H_2$ production was 861.30ml. And cerium oxide($CeO_2$) device was used for increasing $H_2$ production rate. $CeO_2$ device had low thermal resistance, however, more $H_2$ production rate than $Fe_2O_4$ device.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.550-554
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• 2008

The synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from methanol and supercritical carbon dioxide over $K_2CO_3/ZrO_2$ catalysts have been studied. The catalysts were prepared by impregnating $ZrO_2$ with an aqueous $K_2CO_3$ solution. The optimum calcination temperature to disperse K species on the $ZrO_2$ surface was found to be 673 K. Monoclinic $ZrO_2$ was not active, as itself, for the DMC production. However, when the $K_2CO_3$ was impregnated on the $ZrO_2$, the catalytic performance was improved. Besides the catalyst, $CH_3I$ was used as a promoter. The $CH_3I$ promoter as well as the $K_2CO_3/ZrO_2$ catalyst was found to take an important role to improve the production of DMC. The optimum quantities for the catalyst and the promoter were estimated. The effect of the catalyst and the promoter for the DMC synthesis from methanol and supercritical carbon dioxide was investigated and the reaction mechanism was proposed.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2013

In this study, the catalytic performance and characterization of $Ni/Ce_xZr_{1-x}O_2$ were investigated using an autothermal reforming (ATR) process for hydrogen production. The $Ni/Ce_xZr_{1-x}O_2$ catalysts were prepared using the following methods: the water method (CZ-W), urea water method (CZ-UW) and urea, water and ethanol method (CZ-UWA). The performance of $Ni/Ce_xZr_{1-x}O_2$ catalysts in autothermal reforming of propane for hydrogen production was studied in a fixed-bed flow reactor. Reaction tests were conducted by using a feed of $H_2O/C_3H_8/O_2$=3/1/0.37 and $300{\sim}700^{\circ}C$. The CZ-UW and CZ-UWA catalysts showed higher propane conversion and hydrogen yield than the CZ-W catalyst. The activity test confirmed that the improvement in the water-ethanol catalyst was due to the low level of carbon deposition. SEM showed that the surface carbon consisted of clusters on the used CZ-UW catalyst, which is incontrast to the nano-fiber morphology observed on the used CZ-UWA catalyst. It was found that the amount of carbon deposition depends on the preparation method. Especially the $Ni/Ce_{0.75}Zr_{0.25}O_2$ was showed higher propane conversion and hydrogen yield than the other catalysts. Also TGA showed that the resistance of carbon deposition increase to Co addition.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2015

The production of nuclear fuel cladding tube is expected to increase with the nuclear power plant expansion. Zirconium(Zr) scrap that is generated during manufacturing is also expected to increase. Zr electrorefining experiment was carried out in the fluoride salt of LiF-KF-ZrF₄ using multiple electrode for scale up and improving throughput Zr electrorefiner develop-ment. The Zr reduction peak observed at-0.8 V(vs.Ni). Polarization behavior showed that the amount of applied current increases because of decreasing cell resistance as the number of cathode increases. Experimental results showed the highest recovery rate about 98% at lowest current density of 25.64 mA/cm² using 6 electrodes. XRD and TG analysis result show that pure Zr was recovered 99.92% and ICP analysis shows that lower impurity content than conventional impurity content of the Anode(97.8%). Electrorefining consumes energy about 7.15 kWh/kg less than 39.7% compared to the Kroll process using 6 electrode width of 20 mm and height of 65 mm. Because of increasing cell efficiency and recovery rate, using multiple cathode is determined as an efficient technique for scale up electrorefining Zr scrap.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.566-572
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• 2008

Polyethylene has been prepared via metallocene catalysts [(TMDS)$Cp_2$]$ZrCl_2$, 1, and [$(n-Bu)_2Cp_2$]$ZrCl_2$, 2, in the presence of hydrogen as a chain transfer reagent. Increase of hydrogen flow to the polymerization reactor resulted in the drop of catalytic activity, reduction of molecular weight of polyethylene, getting narrow of molecular weight distribution of polyethylene, and melting point of the polyethylene wax. It should be noticed that it was possible to control molecular weight down to 1500 and melting temperature to 60 $^\circ$C of polyethylene wax using the catalyst 1 that has been developed by authors as well as the catalyst 2 from Exxon.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.505-513
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• 2008

The two-step thermochemical cycle was examined on the $CeO_2$, YSZ, and $ZrO_2$-supported $NiFe_2O_4$ to investigate the effects of support material addition. The supported $NiFe_2O_4$ was prepared by the aerial oxidation method. Thermal reduction was conducted at 1573K and 1523K while water-splitting was carried out at 1073K. Supporting $NiFe_2O_4$ on $CeO_2$, YSZ and $ZrO_2$ alleviated the high-temperature sintering of iron-oxide. As a result, the supported $NiFe_2O_4$ exhibited greater reactivity and repeatability in the water-splitting cycle as compared to the unsupported $NiFe_2O_4$. Especially, $ZrO_2$-supported $NiFe_2O_4$ showed better sintering inhibition effect than other supporting materials, but hydrogen production amount was decreased as cycle repeated. In case of $CeO_2$-supported $NiFe_2O_4$, improvement of hydrogen production was found when the thermal reduction was conducted at 1573K. It was deduced that redox reaction of $CeO_2$ activated above 1573K.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.423-428
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• 2015

The machinability of materials is an important factor in engineering applications. Many ceramic components that have complex shapes require machining, typically using diamond tools, which leads to high production cost. Machinable ceramics containing h-BN have recently been developed, but these materials are very expensive because of high cost of raw materials and machining. Therefore the development of low-cost machinable ceramics is desirable. In this study, mullite-$ZrO_2$ ceramics were prepared additions of $Al_2TiO_5$. $ZrSiO_4$, $Al_2O_3$, and $Al_2TiO_5$ powders mixed at various molar ratios with sintering at 1400, 1500, and $1600^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr. Phase formation and microstructure of the sintered ceramics were observed by XRD and SEM, respectively. The machinability of each specimen was tested using the micro-hole machining method. The machinability results show that the ceramics sintered at temperatures over $1500^{\circ}C$ can be used as good low-cost machinable mullite-$ZrO_2-Al_2TiO_5$ ceramics.