• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.451-456
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• 2004

Thermal creep properties of the zirconium tube which was developed for high burnup application were evaluated. The creep test of cladding tubes after various final heat treatment was carried out by the internal pressurization method in the temperature range from $350^{\circ}C to 400^{\circ}C$ and from 100 to 150 MPa in the hoop stress. Creep tests were lasted up to 900days, which showed the steady-state secondary creep rate. The creep resistance of zirconium claddings was higher than that of Zircaloy-4. Factors that affect creep resistance, such as final annealing temperature, applied stress and alloying element were discussed. Tin as an alloying element was more effective than niobium due to solute hardening effect of tin. In case of advanced claddings, the optimization of final heat treatment temperature as well as alloying element causes a great influence on the improvement of creep resistance.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.78-86
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• 2004

Effects of the annealing parameters on the formation of ferrites transformed at low temperatures were studied in cold-rolled ultra low carbon steels with niobium and/or chromium. Niobium and chromium were found to be effective in the formation of the low temperature transformation ferrites. The low temperature transformation ferrites more easily formed when both higher annealing temperature and longer annealing time, allowing substitutional alloying elements to distribute between phases, are in combination with faster cooling rate. It was found from EBSD study that the additions of niobium or chromium resulted in the increase in the numbers of high angle grain boundaries and the decrease in those of the low angle grain boundaries in the microstructures. Both granular bainitic ferrite and bainitic ferrite were characterized by the not clearly etched grain boundaries in light microscopy because of the low angle grain boundaries.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.580-581
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• 2006

The present paper investigates the possibilities of niobium using for the mechanical properties of the common low alloyed Cu-Ni-Mo-C sintered structural steels enhancing. On both thermodynamic and experimental bases there were demonstrated the Nb nitrides/carbides/carbonitrides preferential formation in these steels during sintering in dissociated ammonia at both common and elevated temperatures. The obtained results for $0.2\;{\div}\;1.0\;%$ fine Nb powder and 0.3% graphite additions to Distaloy AB iron base powder cold compacted and sintered in dissociated ammonia proved the expected strengthening effect, leading to higher mechanical properties of the processed steels than of the common Cu-Ni-Mo-C ones.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 1999.08a
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• pp.262-271
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• 1999

This work was intended to modify the solidification structure of high speed steel roll material for hot strip mill, by the introduction of alloying elements designed to form primary carbide dispersions via melt treatment procedure. Solidification structure was modified by the melt treatment with titanium and distribution. This modifying effect could be attributed to the fact that the nuclie formed at high temperature upon inoculation induce the formation of fine equiaxed grain and primary carbide during solification, which is also likely to be responsible for the fact that TiC acts as effective nuclie for primary VC solidification.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.5 no.8
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• pp.997-1004
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• 1995

Intermetallic compound NbAl₃and amorphous phases were synthesized by mechanical alloying of elemental powder mixtures of niobium and aluminum. The composition of the powder mixtures was Nb-45wt%Al(75at%Al). The mechanical alloying was performed with a high energy SPEX 8000 mixer/mill up to 72 hrs. The resulting powders were analyzed by XRD, DTA, SEM and TEM. The mechanically alloyed powders exhibited lamellar structures in the early stage. And the elements of Nb and Al were homogeneously distributed over the Powder when a steady state was reached. An intermetallic compound, NbAl₃, was formed by mechanical alloying for 4 hrs. The mechanically alloyed powders exhibited a large exotherm around 600℃, corresponding to formation of stable NbAl₃and stress relief.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.179-186
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• 2010

To elucidate the effects of alloying elements on the characteristics of microstructure and high temperature oxidation of cast austenitic stainless steel, a thermodynamic calculation, a cyclic oxidation test, a X-ray diffraction, a scanning electron microscopy-back scattered electron, a electron probe microanalysis were conducted. The thermodynamic calculation for the effect of vanadium (V) addition on the formation of various precipitates leads to a decrease of chromium (Cr)-rich $M_{23}C_6$ carbides due to the formation of M (C, N) carbo-nitrides containing V and / or niobium (Nb). The V added alloy increased the resistance to high temperature oxidation due to a decrease of Cr-depleted zone deteriorating the oxidation resistance and due to the V-enriched oxide layer formed in inner oxide layer blocking the outward transport of cations.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.210-215
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• 2006

Mechanical alloying (MA) by high energy ball mill of pure copper and niobium powders was carried out under the Ar gas atmosphere. The supersaturated solid solution can be produced in the range up to $Cu_xNb_{100-x}$(x=5-30) by MA for 120 hrs, as demonstrated by X-ray diffraction, DSC analysis and the electronic studies through a change in the superconducting transition in the low-temperature specific heat. The $Cu_{30}Nb_{70}$ samples ball-milled for 120 hrs exhibit only a broad exothermic heat release. The total energy, ${\Delta}H_t$ accumulated during MA far the mixture of $Cu_{30}Nb_{70}$ powders increased with milling time and approached the saturation value of 7.5 kJ/mol after 120 h of milling. It can be seen that the free energy difference between the supersaturated solid solution and the mixture of $Cu_{30}Nb_{70}$ powders is estimated to be 7 kJ/mol by Miedema et al. Hence it is thermodynamically possible to assume the formation of a supersaturated solid solution phase in this system.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.81-89
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• 2018

In this study, the effect of Nb alloying element on the corrosion fatigue properties of high strength steel is investigated by conducting fatigue experiments under corrosive condition and hydrogen induced condition, potentiodynamic polarization test, tensile test and surface analyses. Nb element is added to enhance the mechanical property of medium carbon steel. This element forms MX-type phases such as carbides and nitrides which are playing an important role in the grain refinement. The grain refinement is one of the effective way to improve mechanical property because both tensile strength and toughness can be improved at the same time. However, MX-type phase precipitates can be a susceptible site to localized corrosion in corrosive environment due to the potential difference between matrix and precipitate. The obtained results showed that Nb-added steel improved corrosion fatigue property by grain refinement. However, it is degraded for hydrogen-induced fatigue property due to Nb, Ti-inclusions acting as a stronger trap.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.188-194
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• 1999

To investigate the effect of niobium and tin on the mechanical properties of zirconium alloys, the tensile test and the microstructural analysis were performed on the Zr-based binary(Zr-xNb, Zr-xSn) and ternary(Zr-0.8Sn-xNb, Zr-0.4Nb-xSn) alloys. As the content of Nb or Sn element increased, the strengths of the Zr-based alloys tended to gradually increase. The increase of mechanical strength was remarkable strength was remarkable in the range more than the solubility of Nb and Sn. The strengthening effects were discussed on the basis of the solid solution hardening, the precipitate hardening, the grain size effect, and the texture effect. The mechanical strength is mainly controlled by the solid solution hardening and additionally by the precipitate hardening in the content more than solubility limit of Nb and Sn. The grain refinement also has a slight effect on the strength of the zirconium alloys with the addition of Nb and Sn. However, the texture effect can be excluded due to the same Kearns number regardless of the content of alloying elements.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.239-244
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• 2004

In order to enhance an oxidation resistance of the pure uranium metal under air condition, a small quantity of niobium(Nb) which is known to mitigate metal oxidation is added into uranium metal as an alloying element. A simulated metallic uranium alloy, U-Nb has been fabricated and then oxidized in the range of 200 to $300^{\circ}C$ under the environment of the pure oxygen gas. The oxidized quantity in terms of the weight gain(wt%) has been measured with the help of a thermogravimetric analyzer. The results show that the oxidation resistance of the U-Nb alloy is considerably enhanced in comparison with that of the pure uranium metal. It is revealed that the oxidation resistance of the former with the niobium content of 1, 2, 3, and 4 wt% is : 1) 1.61, 7.78, 11.76 and 20.14 times at the temperature of $200^{\circ}C$ ; 2) 1.45, 5.98, 10.08 and 11.15 times at $250^{\circ}C$ ; and 3) 1.33, 4.82, 8.87 and 6.84 times at $300^{\circ}C$ higher than that of the latter, respectively. Besides, it is shown that the activation energy attributable to the oxidation is 17.13~21.92 kcal/mol.