This paper investigates the dependency of the critical content for electrical conductivity of carbon powder-filled polymer matrix composites with different matrixes as a function of the carbon powder content (volume fraction) to find the break point of the relationships between the carbon powder content and the electrical conductivity. The electrical conductivity jumps by as much as ten orders of magnitude at the break point. The critical carbon powder content corresponding to the break point in electrical conductivity varies according to the matrix species and tends to increase with an increase in the surface tension of the matrix. In order to explain the dependency of the critical carbon content on the matrix species, a simple equation (Vc* = [1 + 3(γc1/2 − γm1/2)2/(ΔqcR]−1) was derived under some assumptions, the most important of which was that when the interfacial excess energy introduced by particles of carbon powder into the matrix reaches a universal value (Δqc), the particles of carbon powder begin to coagulate so as to avoid any further increase in the energy and to form networks that facilitate electrical conduction. The equation well explains the dependency through surface tension, surface tensions between the particles of carbon powder.
In this study, to confirm the effect of alloying elements on the phase transformation and conditions of the friction stir process, we processed two materials, SS400 and SM45C steels, by a friction stir process (FSP) under various conditions. We analyzed the mechanical properties and microstructure of the friction stir processed zone of SS400 and SM45C steels processed under 400RPM - 100mm/min conditions. We detected no macro (tunnel defect) or micro (void, micro crack) defects in the specimens. The grain refinement in the specimens occurred by dynamic recrystallization and stirring. The microstructure at the friction stir processed zone of the SS400 specimen consisted of an α-phase. On the other hand, the microstructure at the friction stir processed zone of the SM45 specimen consisted of an α-phase, Fe3C and martensite due to a high cooling rate and high carbon content. Furthermore, the hardness and impact absorption energy of the friction stir processed zone were higher than those of base metals. The hardness and impact absorption energy of FSPed SM45C were higher than that of FSPed SS400. Our results confirmed the effect of alloying elements on the phase transformation and mechanical properties of the friction stir processed zone.
The effects of Nb and Cr addition on the microstructure, corrosion and oxide characteristics of Zr based alloys wereinvestigated. The corrosion tests were performed in a pressurized water reactor simulated-loop system at 360oC. Themicrostructures were examined using OM and TEM, and the oxide properties were characterized by low-angle X-ray diffractionand TEM. The corrosion test results up to 360 days revealed that the corrosion rates were considerably affected by Cr contentbut not Nb content. The corrosion resistance of the Zr-xNb-0.1Sn-yCr quaternary alloys was improved by an increasing Nb/Cr ratio. The crystal structure of the precipitates was affected by a variation of the Nb/Cr ratio. The Zr-Nb beta-enrichedprecipitates were mainly formed in the high Nb/Cr ratio alloy while Zr(NbCr)2 precipitates were frequently observed in the lowNb/Cr ratio alloy. The studies of oxide characteristics revealed that the corrosion resistance was related to the crystal structureof the precipitate.
Fe-base superalloy powders with Y2O3 dispersion were prepared by high energy ball milling, followed by sparkplasma sintering for consolidation. High-purity elemental powders with different Fe powder sizes of 24 and 50mm were usedfor the preparation of Fe-20Cr-4.5Al-0.5Ti-O.5Y2O3 powder mixtures (wt%). The milling process of the powders was carriedout in a horizontal rotary ball mill using a stainless steel vial and balls. The milling times of 1 to 5 h by constant operation(350 rpm, ball-to-powder ratio of 30:1 in weight) or cycle operation (1300 rpm for 4 min and 900 rpm for 1 min, 15:1) wereapplied. Microstructural observation revealed that the crystalline size of Fe decreased with an increase in milling time by cyclicoperation and was about 15nm after 3 h, forming a FeCr alloy phase. The cyclic operation had an advantage over constantmilling in that a smaller-agglomerated structure was obtained. The milled powders were sintered at 1100oC for 30 min invacuum. With an increase in milling time, the sintered specimen showed a more homogeneous microstructure. In addition, ahomogenous distribution of Y-compound particles in the grain boundary was confirmed by EDX analysis.
NiO catalysts/Al2O3/FeCrAl alloy foam for hydrogen production was prepared using atomic layer deposition (ALD)and subsequent dip-coating methods. FeCrAl alloy foam and Al2O3 inter-layer were used as catalyst supports. To improve thedispersion and stability of NiO catalysts, an Al2O3 inter-layer was introduced and their thickness was systematically controlledto 0, 20, 50 and 80nm using an ALD technique. The structural, chemical bonding and morphological properties (includingdispersion) of the NiO catalysts/Al2O3/FeCrAl alloy foam were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectronspectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy. Inparticular, to evaluate the stability of the NiO catalysts grown on Al2O3/FeCrAl alloy foam, chronoamperometry tests wereperformed and then the ingredient amounts of electrolytes were analyzed via inductively coupled plasma spectrometer. We foundthat the introduction of Al2O3 inter-layer improved the dispersion and stability of the NiO catalysts on the supports. Thus, whenan Al2O3 inter-layer with a 80nm thickness was grown between the FeCrAl alloy foam and the NiO catalysts, it indicatedimproved dispersion and stability of the NiO catalysts compared to the other samples. The performance improvement can beexplained by optimum thickness of Al2O3 inter-layer resulting from the role of a passivation layer.
Fundamental studies of microstructural changes and high temperature deformation of titanium aluminide (TiAl) were conducted from the view point of the effect of Al content in order to develop the manufacturing process of TiAl. Microstructures in an as cast state consisted mainly of lamellar structure irrespective of Al content. By homogenization at 1473 K, the microstructures of Ti-49Al and Ti-51Al were transformed into an equiaxial structure which was composed of γ-TiAl, while the lamellar structure that was observed in Ti-46Al and Ti-47Al was much more stable. We found that the reduction of Al content suppressed the formation of equiaxial grains and resulted in a microstructure of only a lamellar structure. On Ti-49Al and Ti-51Al, dynamic recrystallization occurred during high temperature deformation, and the microstructure was transformed into a fine equiaxial one, while the microstructures of Ti-46Al and Ti-47Al contained few recrystallized grains and consisted mainly of a deformed lamellar structure. We observed that on the low-Al alloys the lamellar structure under hard mode deformation conditions deformed as kink observed B2-NiAl. High temperature deformation characteristics of TiAl were strongly affected by Al content. An increase of Al content resulted in a decrease of peak stress and activation energy for plastic deformation and an increase of the recrystallization ratio in TiAl.
Metastable phase characteristics of beta Ti alloys were investigated to consider the relationship of the microstructureand diffraction pattern in TEM. TEM analysis showed that the microstructure was mottled as a modulated structure, and thediffraction pattern was composed of spot streaks between the main spots of a stable beta phase with a specific latticerelationship. The modulated structure may be induced by short distance slip or atom movement during a very short intervalof solution treated and quenched (STQ) materials. The athermal ω phase, which could be precipitated at low temperature aging,is also analysed by the metastable phase. The metastable phases including athermal ω phase had a common characteristic ofhardened and brittle behavior because the dislocation slip was restricted by a super lattice effect due to short distance atommovement at the metastable state.
Microstructural analysis of a (α+β) Ti alloy was investigated to consider phase transformation in each step of thethermo-mechanical process using by SEM and TEM EDS. The TAF (Ti-6Al-4Fe) alloy was thermo-mechanically treated withsolid solution at 880oC, rolling at 880oC and annealing at 800oC. In the STQ state, the TAF microstructure was composedof a normal hcp α and metastable β phase. In a rolled state, it was composed of fine B2 precipitates in an α phase, whichhad high Fe segregation and a coherent relationship with the β matrix. Finally, in the annealing state, the fine B2 precipitateshad disappeared in the α phase and had gone to the boundary of the α and β phase. On the other hand, in a lower rollingtemperature of 704oC, the B2 precipitates were more coarse in both the α and the boundary of α and β phase. We concludedthat microstructural change affects the mechanical properties of formability including rolling defects and cracks.
In this study, low-carbon hypoeutectoid steels with different ferrite-pearlite microstructures were fabricated byvarying transformation temperature. The microstructural factors such as pearlite fraction and interlamellar spacing, and cementitethickness were quantitatively measured and then Charpy impact tests conducted on the specimens in order to investigate thecorrelation of the microstructural factors with impact toughness and ductile-brittle transition temperature. The microstructuralanalysis results showed that the pearlite interlamellar spacing and cementite thickness decreases while the pearlite fractionincreases as the transformation temperature decreases. Although the specimens with higher pearlite fractions have low absorbedenergy, on the other hand, the absorbed energy is higher in room temperature than in low temperature. The upper-shelf energyslightly increases with decreasing the pearlite interlamellar spacing. However, the ductile-brittle transition temperature is hardlyaffected by the pearlite interlamellar spacing because there is an optimum interlamellar spacing dependent on lamellar ferriteand cementite thickness and because the increase in pearlite fraction and the decrease in interlamellar spacing with decreasingtransformation temperature have a contradictory role on absorbed energy.
Impedancemetric NOx (NO and NO2) gas sensors were designed with a stacked-layer structure and fabricated using LaCrxCo1-xO3 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8 and 1) as the receptor material and Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 plates as the solid-electrolyte transducer material. The LaCrxCo1-xO3 layers were prepared with a polymeric precursor method that used ethylene glycol as the solvent, acetyl acetone as the chelating agent, and polyvinylpyrrolidone as the polymer additive. The effects of the Co concentration on the structural, morphological, and NOx sensing properties of the LaCrxCo1-xO3 powders were investigated with powder Xray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and its response to 20~250 ppm of NOx at 400 oC (for 1 kHz and 0.5 V), respectively. When the as-prepared precursors were calcined at 700 oC, only a single phase was detected, which corresponded to a perovskite-type structure. The XRD results showed that as the Co concentration of the LaCrxCo1-xO3 powders increased, the crystal structure was transformed from an orthorhombic phase to a rhombohedral phase. Moreover, the LaCrxCo1-xO3 powders with 0 ≤ x < 0.8 had a rhombohedral symmetry. The size of the particles in the LaCrxCo1-xO3 powders increased from 0.1 to 0.5 μm as the Co concentration increased. The sensing performance of the stack-structured LaCrxCo1-xO3/Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 sensors was found to divide the impedance component between the resistance and capacitance. The response of these sensors to NO gas was more sensitive than that to NO2 gas. Compared to other impedancemetric sensors, the LaCr0.8Co0.2O3/Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 sensor exhibited good reversibility and reliable sensingresponse properties for NOx gases.