One of the promising candidates for accident-tolerant fuel (ATF), a ceramic microcell fuel, which can be distinguished by an unusual cell-like microstructure (UO2 grain cell surrounded by a doped oxide cell wall), is being developed. This study deals with the microstructural observation of the constituent phases and the wetting behaviors of the cell wall materials in three kinds of ceramic microcell UO2 pellets: Si-Ti-O (STO), Si-Cr-O (SCO), and Al-Si-Ti-O (ASTO). The chemical and physical states of the cell wall materials are estimated by HSC Chemistry and confirmed by experiment to be mixtures of Si-O and Ti-O for the STO; Si-O and Cr-O for SCO; and Si-O, Ti-O, and Al-Si-O for the ASTO. From their morphology at triple junctions, UO2 grains appear to be wet by the Si-O or Al-Si-O rather than other oxides, providing a benefit on the capture-ability of the ceramic microcell cell wall. The wetting behavior can be explained by the relationships between the interface energy and the contact angle.

BiFeO3 with perovskite structure is a well-known material that has both ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic properties called multiferroics. However, leaky electrical properties and difficulty of controlling stoichiometry due to Bi volatility and difficulty of obtaining high relative density due to high dependency on the ceramic process are issues for BiFeO3 applications. In this work we investigated the sintering behavior of samples with different stoichiometries and sintering conditions. To understand the optimum sintering conditions, nonstoichiometric Bi1±xFeO3±δ ceramics and Ti-doped Bi1.03Fe1-4x/3TixO3 ceramics were synthesized by a conventional solid-state route. Dense single phase BiFeO3 ceramics were successfully fabricated using a two-step sintering and quenching process. The effects of Bi volatility on microstructure were determined by Bi-excess and Ti doping. Bi-excess increased grain size, and Ti doping increased sintering temperature and decreased grain size. It should be noted that Ti-doping suppressed Bi volatility and stabilized the BiFeO3 phase.

PURPOSES: Nitrogen oxide (NOx) is a particulate matter precursor, which is a harmful gas contributing to air pollution and causes acid rain. The approaching methods for NOx removal from the air are the focus of numerous researchers worldwide. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and activated carbon are particularly useful materials for NOx removal. The mechanism of NOx elimination by using TiO2 requires sunlight for a photocatalytic reaction, while activated carbon absorbs the NOx particle into the pore itself after contact with the atmosphere. The mixing method of these two materials with concrete, coating, and penetration methods on the surface is an alternative method for NOx removal. However, this mixing method is not as efficient as the coating and penetration methods because the TiO2 and the activated carbon inside the concrete cannot come in contact with sunlight and air, respectively. Hence, the coating and penetration methods may be effective solutions for directly exposing these materials to the environment. However, the coating method requires surface pretreatment, such as milling, prior to securing contact, and this may not satisfy economic considerations. Therefore, this study aims to apply TiO2 and activated carbon on the concrete surface by using the penetration method. METHODS : Surface penetrants, namely silane siloxane and silicate, were used in this study. Photocatalyst TiO2 and adsorbent activated carbons were selected. TiO2 was formed by the crystal structures of anatase and rutile, while the activated carbons were plant- and coal-type materials. Each penetrant was mixed with each particulate matter reductant. The mixtures were sprayed on the concrete surface using concentration ratios of 8:2 and 9:1. A scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray equipment was employed to measure the penetration depth of each specimen. The optimum concentration ratio was selected based on the penetration depth. RESULTS: TiO2 and activated carbon were penetrated within 1 mm from the concrete surface. This TiO2 distribution was acceptable because TiO2 and activated carbon locate to where they can directly come in contact with sunlight and air pollutant, respectively. Infiltration to the concrete surface was easily achieved because the concrete voids were bigger than the nanosized TiO2 and microsized activated carbon. The amount of penetration for each particulate matter reductant was measured from the concrete surface to a certain depth. CONCLUSIONS : The mass ratio on the surface can be predicted from the mass ratio of the particulate matter reductant measurement distributed through the penetration depth. The optimum mass ratio was also presented. Moreover, the mixtures of TiO2 with silane siloxane and activated carbon with silicate were recommended with an 8:2 concentration ratio.

The Fe-22wt.%Cr-6wt.%Al foams were fabricated via the powder alloying process in this study. The structural characteristics, microstructure, and mechanical properties of Fe-Cr-Al foams with different average pore sizes were investigated. Result of the structural analysis shows that the average pore sizes were measured as 474 μm (450 foam) and 1220 μm (1200 foam). Regardless of the pore size, Fe-Cr-Al foams had a Weaire-Phelan bubble structure, and α-ferrite was the major constituent phase. Tensile and compressive tests were conducted with an initial strain rate of 10−3 /s. Tensile yield strengths were 3.4 MPa (450 foam) and 1.4 MPa (1200 foam). Note that the total elongation of 1200 foam was higher than that of 450 foam. Furthermore, their compressive yield strengths were 2.5 MPa (450 foam) and 1.1 MPa (1200 foam), respectively. Different compressive deformation behaviors according to the pore sizes of the Fe-Cr-Al foams were characterized: strain hardening for the 450 foam and constant flow stress after a slight stress drop for the 1200 foam. The effect of structural characteristics on the mechanical properties was also discussed.

In order to observe the microstructure and morphology of porous titanium -oxide thin film, deposition is performed under a higher Ar gas pressure than is used in the general titanium thin film production method. Black titanium thin film is deposited on stainless steel wire and Cu thin plate at a pressure of about 12 Pa, but lustrous thin film is deposited at lower pressure. The black titanium thin film has a larger apparent thickness than that of the glossy thin film. As a result of scanning electron microscope observation, it is seen that the black thin film has an extremely porous structure and consists of a separated column with periodic step differences on the sides. In this configuration, due to the shadowing effect, the nuclei formed on the substrate periodically grow to form a step. The surface area of the black thin film on the Cu thin plate changes with the bias potential. It has been found that the bias of the small negative is effective in increasing the surface area of the black titanium thin film. These results suggest that porous titanium-oxide thin film can be fabricated by applying the appropriate oxidation process to black titanium thin film composed of separated columns.

TiO2-particles containing Co grains are fabricated via thermal hydrogenation and selective oxidation of Ti- Co alloy. For comparison, TiO2-Co composite powders are prepared by two kinds of methods which were the mechanical carbonization and oxidation process, and the conventional mixing process. The microstructural characteristics of the prepared composites are analyzed by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scattering electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the composite powders are sintered at 800℃ by spark plasma sintering. The flexural strength and fracture toughness of the sintered samples prepared by thermal hydrogenation and mechanical carbonization are found to be higher than those of the samples prepared by the conventional mixing process. Moreover, the microstructures of sintered samples prepared by thermal hydrogenation and mechanical carbonization processes are found to be similar. The difference in the mechanical properties of sintered samples prepared by thermal hydrogenation and mechanical carbonization processes is attributed to the different sizes of metallic Co particles in the samples.

This study analyzes the mechanical properties, including the attrition rate, of 50 μm size yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) beads with different microstructures and high-energy milling conditions. The yttria distribution in the grain and grainboundary of the fully sintered beads relates closely to Vickers hardness and the attrition rate of the YSZ beads. Grain size, fractured surfaces, and yttrium distribution are analyzed by electronic microscopes. For standardization and a reliable comparison of the attrition rate of zirconia beads with different conditions, Zr content in milled ceramic powder is analyzed and calculated by X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer(XRF) instead of directly measuring the weight change of milled YSZ beads. The beads with small grain sizes sintered at lower temperature exhibit a higher Vickers hardness and lower attrition rate. The attrition rate of 50 μm YSZ beads is measured and compared with the various materials properties of ceramic powders used for high-energy milling. The attrition rate of beads appears to be closely related to the Vickers hardness of ceramic materials used for milling, and demonstrates more than a 10 times higher attrition rate with Alumina(Hv ~1650) powder than BaTiO3 powder (Hv ~315).

In the current steel structures of high-rise buildings, high heat input welding techniques are used to improve productivity in the construction industry. Under the high heat input welding, however, the microstructures of the weld metal (WM) and heat-affected zone (HAZ) coarsen, resulting in the deterioration of impact toughness. This study focuses mainly on the effects of fine TiN precipitates dispersed in steel plates and B addition in welding materials on grain refinement of the HAZ microstructure under submerged arc welding (SAW) with a high heat input of 200 kJ/cm. The study reveals that, different from that in conventional steel, the γ grain coarsening is notably retarded in the coarse grain HAZ (CGHAZ) of a newly developed steel with TiN precipitates below 70 nm in size even under the high heat input welding, and the refinement of HAZ microstructure is confirmed to have improved impact toughness. Furthermore, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analyses demonstrate that B is was identified at the interface of TiN in CGHAZ. It is likely that B atoms in the WM are diffused to CGHAZ and are segregated at the outer part of undissolved TiN, which contributes partly to a further grain refinement, and consequently, improved mechanical properties are achieved.

Lead free (Ba0.7Ca0.3) TiO3 thick films with nano-sized grains are prepared using an aerosol deposition (AD) method at room temperature. The crystallinity of the AD thick films is enhanced by a post annealing process. Contrary to the sharp phase transition of bulk ceramics that has been reported, AD films show broad phase transition behaviors due to the nanosized grains. The polarization-electric hysteresis loop of annealed AD film shows ferroelectric behaviors. With an increase in annealing temperature, the saturation polarization increases because of an increase in crystallinity. However, the remnant polarization and cohesive field are not affected by the annealing temperature. BCT AD thick films annealed at 700 ℃/2h have an energy density of 1.84 J/cm3 and a charge-discharge efficiency of 69.9%, which is much higher than those of bulk ceramic with the same composition. The higher energy storage properties are likely due to the increase in the breakdown field from a large number of grain boundaries of nano-sized grains.

본 연구에서는 바늘형 종결정 코팅 양을 조절함으로써 결정학적으로 b-축 그리고 c-축으로 배향된 모데나이트 제올라이트 분리막을 제조하고 결정학적 배향이 투과증발 에탄올 탈수 거동에 미치는 영향을 고찰하였다. c-축 방향으로 길게 자란 종결정 코팅 양이 증가할수록 b-축 방향에서 c-축 방향으로 성장된 분리막이 얻어졌고, 진화론적 성장 기구에 의해 설명되었다. 8R 단일채널을 갖는 b-축 배향된 분리막은 1000 이상의 선택도와 0.2 kg/m2h의 총 유속을 나타냈다. b-축 방향으로 배향된 분리막이 높은 선택도와 상대적으로 높은 투과도를 보이는 것은 물의 운동역학적 직경이 8R의 직경에 비하여 작기 때문에 물의 이동이 방해되지 않는 반면 에탄올은 상대적으로 방해받기 때문으로 설명되어졌다.

Particle size reduction is an important step in many technological operations. The process itself is defined as the mechanical breakdown of solids into smaller particles to increase the surface area and induce defects in solids, which are needed for subsequent operations such as chemical reactions. To fabricate nano-sized particles, several tens to hundreds of micron size ceramic beads, formed through high energy milling process, are required. To minimize the contamination effects during highenergy milling, the mechanical properties of zirconia beads are very important. Generally, the mechanical properties of Y2O3 stabilized tetragonal zirconia beads are closely related to the mechanism of phase change from tetragonal to monoclinic phase via external mechanical forces. Therefore, Y2O3 distribution in the sintered zirconia beads must also be closely related with the mechanical properties of the beads. In this work, commercially available 100μm-size beads are analyzed from the point of view of microstructure, composition homogeneity (especially for Y2O3), mechanical properties, and attrition rate.

본 논문은 Ni - Al2O3로 구성된 금속-세라믹 이종 입자복합재의 2차원 미세구조(microstructure) 생성과 미세구조 스케일 (scale)에 따라 정의되는 계층적 모델들의 역학적 특성 분석에 관한 내용이다. 이종 입자복합재의 미세구조는 수학적인 RMDF(random morphology description functions) 모델링기법을 복합재의 2차원 RVE(representative volume element) 영 역에 적용하여 생성하였다. 그리고 미세구조 생성에 필요한 가우스 함수들의 개수에 따라 미세구조의 계층적 모델을 정의하였다. 한편 임의 미세구조 내 금속과 세라믹 입자가 차지하는 체적분율(volume fraction)은 RMDF 함수의 레벨을 조정함으로서 설정하였다. RMDF기법에 의한 미세구조들은 가우스 함수들의 개수가 일정할지라도 랜덤하게 생성된다. 이렇게 랜덤 하게 생성되는 미세구조들을 2차원 보(beam) 모델에 적용하여 미세구조의 스케일에 따른 수직응력과 전단응력의 계층적 변 동을 수치 해석적으로 고찰하였다. 또한, 균열해석을 통해 RMDF의 랜덤성과 가우스 함수들의 개수가 균열선단에서의 응력 값에 미치는 영향을 고찰하였다.

In order to increase the efficiency of the sputtering method widely used in thin film fabrication, a dc sputtering apparatus which supplies both high frequency and magnetic field from the outside was fabricated, and cobalt thin film was fabricated using this apparatus. The apparatus can independently control the applied voltage, the target-substrate distance, and the target current, which are important parameters in the sputtering method, so that a stable glow discharge is obtained even at a low gas pressure of 10−3 Torr. The fabrication conditions using the sputtering method were mainly performed in Ar+O2 mixed gas containing about 0.6% oxygen gas under various Ar gas pressures of 1 to 30 mTorr. The microstructure of Co thin films deposited using this apparatus was examined by electron diffraction pattern and X-ray techniques. The magnetic properties were investigated by measuring the magnetization curves. The microstructure and magnetic properties of Co thin films depend on the discharge gas pressure. The thin film fabricated at high gas pressure showed a columnar structure containing a large amount of the third phase in the boundary region and the thin film formed at low gas pressure showed little or no columnar structure. The coercivity in the plane was slightly larger than that in the latter case.

Porous materials such as polymeric foam are widely adopted in engineering and biomedical fields. Porous materials often exhibit complex nonlinear behaviors and are sensitive to material and environmental factors including cell size and shape, amount of porosity, and temperature, which are influenced by the type of base materials, reinforcements, method of fabrication, etc. Hence, the material characteristics of porous materials such as compressive stress-strain behavior and void volume fraction according to aforementioned factors should be precisely identified. In this study, unconfined uniaxial compressive test for two types of closed-cell structure polyurethane foam, namely, 0.16 and 0.32 g/cm3 of densities were carried out. In addition, the void volume fraction of three different domains, namely, center, surface and buckling regions under various compressive strains (10%, 30 %, 50 % and 70 %) were quantitatively observed using Micro 3D Computed Tomography(micro-CT) scanning system. Based on the experimental results, the relationship between compressive strain and void volume fraction with respect to cell size, density and boundary condition were investigated.

본 연구에서는 물/에탄올 분리 성능이 우수한 모데나이트 제올라이트 분리막을 제조하였다. 모데나이트 분리막은 다공성 알루미나 지지체 표면에 종결정이 분산된 종결정 수용액을 이용하여 침지코팅한 후 1SiO2:0.05Al2O3: 0.76NaOH:40H2O 의 몰비로 제조된 수열용액을 이용하여 170°C에서 24시간 동안 이차성장 시켰다. 이때 종결정 수용액의 농도가 모데나이트 분리막의 미세구조 및 투과증발성능에 미치는 영향에 대하여 분석하였다. 종결정 수용액의 농도를 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 wt%로 한 후 합성한 경우, b축으로 성장된 바늘 구조의 모데나이트 결정은 농도가 증가할수록 c축으로 성장하는 것을 확인하였다. c축으로 성장 된 분리막의 물/에탄올 분리성능은 > 10000의 선택도와 0.2 kg/m2h의 투과도 를 나타냈다.

The microstructural evolution and modulation of mechanical properties were investigated for a Ti65Fe35 hypereutectic alloy by addition of Bi53In47 eutectic alloys. The microstructure of these alloys changed with the additional Bi- In elements from a typical dendrite-eutectic composite to a bimodal eutectic structure with primary dendrite phases. In particular, the primary dendrite phase changed from a TiFe intermetallic compound into a β-Ti solid solution despite their higher Fe content. Compressive tests at room temperature demonstrated that the yield strength slightly decreased but the plasticity evidently increased with an increasing Bi-In content, which led to the formation of a bimodal eutectic structure (β-Ti/TiFe + β- Ti/BiIn containing phase). Furthermore, the (Ti65Fe35)95(Bi53In47)5 alloy exhibited optimized mechanical properties with high strength (1319MPa) and reasonable plasticity (14.2%). The results of this study indicate that the transition of the eutectic structure, the type of primary phases and the supersaturation in the β-Ti phase are crucial factors for controlling the mechanical properties of the ultrafine dendrite-eutectic composites.