ZrN nanoparticles were prepared by an exothermic reduction of ZrCl4 with NaN3 in the presence of NaCl flux in a nitrogen atmosphere. Using a solid-state combustion approach, we have demonstrated that the zirconium nitride nanoparticles synthesis process can be completed in only several minutes compared with a few hours for previous synthesis approaches. The chemistry of the combustion process is not complex and is based on a metathesis reaction between ZrCl4 and NaN3. Because of the low melting and boiling points of the raw materials it was possible to synthesize the ZrN phase at low combustion temperatures. It was shown that the combustion temperature and the size of the particles can be readily controlled by tuning the concentration of the NaCl flux. The results show that an increase in the NaCl concentration (from 2 to 13 M) results in a temperature decrease from 1280 to 750˚C. ZrN nanoparticles have a high surface area (50-70 m2/g), narrow pore size distribution, and nano-particle size between 10 and 30 nm. The activation energy, which can be extracted from the experimental combustion temperature data, is: E = 20 kcal/mol. The method reported here is self-sustaining, rapid, and can be scaled up for a large scale production of a transition metal nitride nanoparticle system (TiN, TaN, HfN, etc.) with suitable halide salts and alkali metal azide.

본 연구에서는 개발한 Chemical Compaction Pile(이하 CCP)공법의 연약지반 개량의 적용성을 평가하기 위하여 모형 아크릴 토조와 CCP 전용 토조를 제작하였으며, CCP를 구성하는 주재료인 Bottom Ash, 생석회 및 첨가재의 배합비를 실험변수로 하여 지반의 종류에 따른 함수비, 전단강도의 변화를 측정하였다. 실험결과, 지반의 함수비 감소나 강도증진효과는 생석회의 함유량이 많을수록 크게 나타났으며, 지반개량효과도 짧은 시일 내에 나타나는 것이 확인되었다. 또한, 지반개량에 따른 전단강도의 증진과 함수비의 변화는 지반의 종류에 따라서도 영향을 받는 것으로 나타났다. 그 외에도 개발된 CCP는 충분한 지지력도 확보하고 있어 연약지반개량과 함께 지지말뚝으로써의 기능성이 있는 것으로 평가되었다.