• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.542-545
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• 2011

Half-Heusler alloys are a potential thermoelectric material for use in high-temperature applications. In an attempt to produce half-Heusler thermoelectric materials with fine microstructures, TiCoSb was synthesized by the mechanical alloying of stoichiometric elemental powder compositions and then consolidated by vacuum hot pressing. The phase transformations during the mechanical alloying and hot consolidation process were investigated using XRD and SEM. A single-phase, half- Heusler allow was successfully produced by the mechanical alloying process, but a minor portion of the second phase of the CoSb formation was observed after the vacuum hot pressing. The thermoelectric properties as a function of the temperature were evaluated for the hot-pressed specimens. The Seebeck coefficients in the test range showed negative values, representing n-type conductivity, and the absolute value was found to be relatively low due to the existence of the second phase. It is shown that the electrical conductivity is relatively high and that the thermal conductivities are compatibly low in MA TiCoSb. The maximum ZT value was found to be relatively low in the test temperature range, possibly due to the lower Seebeck coefficient. The Hall mobility value appeared to be quite low, leading to the lower value of Seebeck coefficient. Thus, it is likely that the single phase produced by mechanical alloying process will show much higher ZT values after an excess Ti addition. It is also believed that further property enhancement can be obtained if appropriate dopants are selectively introduced into this MA TiCoSb System.

• The Korean Journal of Ceramics
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.179-184
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• 1995

Sodium superionic conductor (NASICON) compounds were prepared. The effects of sintering temperature and cooling rate on the formation and the distribution of crystalline NASICON and $ZrO_3$ second phase were investigated. In the von Alpen-type composition, the $ZrO_2$ second phase is in thermal equilibrium with the crystalline NASICON above $1320^{\circ}C$, but when cooled through 1260-$1320^{\circ}C$ crystalline NASICON was formed by reaction between $ZrO_2$ and liquid phase. Very slow cooling ($1^{\circ}C$/hr) to $1260^{\circ}C$ from sintering temperature decreased the amount of sodium which prevents the formation of the crystalline NASICON resulted high number of $ZrO_2$ grains near the surface of some sintered bodies. Maximum electrical conductivity of 0.200 ohm-1cm-1 was obtained at $300^{\circ}C$ for well-sintered samples with little $ZrO_3$. On the other hand, low conductivities were obtained for rapid-cooled samples which have less dense microstructure.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2006

In this Part 2, the grain growth processes of $Al_2O_3$ ceramics is numerically simulated using Monte Carlo method (MCM) and finite element method (FEM) and the pore sizes are analyzed. As the green ceramics whose thermal conductivities in high temperatures are generally low are sintered by the plasma heat and are rapidly cooled, the grain growth of the sintered body in the center is different from that in the outer. Also, even in the same sintering temperature, the pore size differs according to the pressing pressure. In order to prove the difference, the temperature distribution of the sintered body was analyzed using the finite element method and then the grain growth process associated with pressing pressures and relative densities was simulated using Monte Carlo method.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.82-91
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• 2017

Liquid alloy systems have a high degree of thermal conductivity, far superior to ordinary nonmetallic liquids and inherent high densities and electrical conductivities. This results in the use of these materials for specific heat conducting and dissipation applications for the nuclear and space sectors. Uniquely, they can be used to conduct heat and electricity between nonmetallic and metallic surfaces. The motion of liquid metals in strong magnetic fields generally induces electric currents, which, while interacting with the magnetic field, produce electromagnetic forces. Electromagnetic pumps exploit the fact that liquid metals are conducting fluids capable of carrying currents, which is a source of electromagnetic fields useful for pumping and diagnostics. The coupling between the electromagnetics and thermo-fluid mechanical phenomena and the determination of its geometry and electrical configuration, gives rise to complex engineering magnetohydrodynamics problems. The development of tools to model, characterize, design, and build liquid metal thermomagnetic systems for space, nuclear, and industrial applications are of primordial importance and represent a cross-cutting technology that can provide unique design and development capabilities as well as a better understanding of the physics behind the magneto-hydrodynamics of liquid metals. First studies for the development of computational tools for the design of liquid metal electromagnetic pumps are discussed.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.329-336
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• 2010

The paper describes the electrical and optical properties of underwater discharges in highly inhomogeneous electric fields caused by 1.2/50 ${\mu}s$ impulse voltages as functions of the polarity and amplitude of the applied voltage, and various water conductivities. The electric fields are formed by a point-to-plane electrode system. The formation of air bubbles is associated with a thermal process of the water located at the tip of the needle electrode, and streamer coronas can be initiated in the air bubbles and propagated through the test gap with stepped leaders. The fastest streamer channel experiences the final jump across the test gap. The negative streamer channels not only have more branches but are also more widely spread out than the positive streamer channels. The propagation velocity of the positive streamer is much faster than that of the negative one and, in fact, both these velocities are independent of the water conductivity; in addition the time-lag to breakdown is insensitive to water conductivity. The higher the water conductivity the larger the pre-breakdown energy, therefore, the ionic currents do not contribute to the initiation and propagation of the underwater discharges in the test conditions considered.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.424-428
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• 1996

TlCl2(TCNQ)2.5 and Tl(TCNQ)3 were obtained from the reaction of LiTCNQ (TCNQ=tetracyanoquinodimethane) and TlX3 (X=Cl and NO3). These compounds were characterized by spectroscopic(IR, UV, EPR), electrochemical methods, and electrical conductivity measurements. Thermal analysis (TG, DSC) was also conducted. The room temperature electrical conductivities of these compounds are in the range of semiconductors. Spectroscopic studies indicate that Tl(TCNQ)3 has fully ionized TCNQ- ions in a form of simple salt, whereas TlCl2(TCNQ)2.5 is consisted of TCNQ- and TCNQ0 as a complex salt. EPR values of TCNQ- radical anion are 1.999 in both compounds and the signal attributable to metal ion is not observed, suggesting that any unpaired electrons are localized on TCNQ radicals, and metal atoms have diamagnetic state. Ligand decomposition and reduction process are simultaneously progressed in both compounds above at 200 ℃. The endothermic activation energy of TlCl2(TCNQ)2.5 is shown somewhat larger than that of Tl(TCNQ)3, it may be due to Tl-Cl bond strength. The mid-peak potentials of these compounds are very similar to those of TCNQ and the values of Epa and Epc are almost equal to 1. The wave of thallium ion is not detected in cyclic voltammogram, hence the redox processes of the complexes might be mainly localized to the TCNQ ligand rather than thallium ion.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.272-278
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• 2021

In this study, high nickel layered LiNi_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1O₂ cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries were modified by yttrium doping and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) coating. The effects of yttrium doping and PEDOT:PSS coating on the structural and electrochemical properties of the LiNi_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1O₂ cathode material were investigated and compared. The substitution of nickel with an electrochemically inert yttrium was confirmed to be successful in stabilizing the layered structure framework. Moreover, coating the surfaces of the LiNi_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1O₂ particles with a conductive polymer, PEDOT:PSS, improved the capacity retention, thermal stability, and impedance of the cathode material by increasing its ionic and electric conductivities.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.208-215
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• 2023

In this study, the properties of polyurethane-polydimethylsiloxane (PU-PDMS) hybrid foams containing different types and contents of physical blowing agents (PBAs) were investigated. Two types of blowing agents, namely physical blowing agents and thermally expandable microspheres (TEM), were applied. The apparent density was measured using precisely cut foam samples, and the pore size was measured using image software. In addition, the microstructure of the foam was confirmed via scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The thermal conductivities related to the microstructures of the different foams were compared. When 0.5 phr of the hydrocarbon-based PBA was added, the apparent density and pore size of the foam were minimal; however, the pore size was larger than that of neat foam. In contrast, the addition of 3 phr of TEM effectively reduced both the apparent density and pore size of the PBAs. The increase in resin viscosity owing to TEM could enhance bubble production stability, leading to the formation of more uniform and smaller pores. These results indicate that TEM is a highly efficient PBA that can be employed to decrease the weight and pore size of PU-PDMS hybrid foams.

• Composites Research
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.262-268
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• 2016

In this work, the pitch-based carbon paper (P-CP) was prepared by re-impregnating of binder pitches and PAN-based milled carbon fibers (MCF) at low temperature carbonization process. The influence of MCF content on physicochemical properties of MCF/P-CP was investigated. As a result, the tensile strength of MCF/P-CP was increased sharply from 10 wt.% to 20 wt.% of MCF. Also, the increase of MCF content led to the decrease of interfacial contact resistivity and the improvement of electrical and thermal conductivity of MCF/P-CP. These results were probably due to the increase of density of MCF/P-CP, resulting in the formation of electrically and thermally conductive paths of the carbon paper.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.72-78
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• 2009

For the electro-discharge machining of an electro-conductive anisotropic composite, an unsteady state formulation was established and solved by Galerkin's finite element method. The distribution of temperature on work piece, the shape of the crater and the material removal rate were obtained in terms of the process parameters. The $12{\times}12$ irregular mesh that was chosen as the optimum in the previous analysis was used for computational accuracy and efficiency. A material having the physical properties of alumina/titanium carbide composite was selected and an electricity with power of 51.4 V and current of 7 A was applied, assuming the removal efficiency of 10 % and the thermal anisotropic factors of 2 and 3. As the spark was initiated the workpiece immediately started to melt and the heat affected zone was formed. The moving boundary of the crater was also identified with time. When the radial and axial conductivities were increased separately, the temperature distribution and the shape of the crater were shifted in the radial and axial directions, respectively. The material removal rate was found to be higher when the conductivity was increased in the radial direction rather than in the axial direction.