The crystallization effects of boron (B) powder on the phase, full width at half maximum (FWHM) values, and critical properties were investigated for in-situ reacted MgB2 bulk superconductors. The semi-crystalline B powder was heat-treated at different temperatures of 1000, 1300 and 1500˚C for 5 hours in an Ar atmosphere. Then, using as-received and heat-treated B powders, the MgB2 samples were prepared at 600˚C for 40 hours in an Ar atmosphere. As the heat-treatment temperature of the B powder increased, both the particle size of the B powder and crystalline phase increased. In the case of MgB2 samples using B powders heat-treated at above 1300˚C, unreacted magnesium (Mg) and B remained due to the improved crystallinity of the B powder. As the heat-treatment temperature of B powder increased, the critical current density of MgB2 decreased continuously due to the reduction of grain boundary density and superconducting volume caused by unreacted Mg and B.

GdBa2Cu3O7-y(Gd123) powders were synthesized by the solid-state reaction method using Gd2O3 (99.9% purity), BaCO3 (99.75%) and CuO (99.9%) powders. The synthesized Gd123 powder and the Gd123 powder with Gd2O3 addition (Gd1.5Ba2Cu3O7-y(Gd1.5)) were used as raw powders for the fabrication of Gd123 bulk superconductors. The Gd123 and Gd1.5 bulk superconductors were fabricated by sintering or a top-seeded melt growth (TSMG) process. The superconducting transition temperature (Tc,onset) of the sintered Gd123 was 93 K and the transition width was as large as 20 K. The Tc,onset of the TSMG processed Gd123 was 82 K and the transition width was also as large as 12 K. The critical current density (Jc) at 77 K and 0 T of the sintered Gd123 and TSMG processed Gd123 were as low as a few hundreds A/cm2. The addition of 0.25 mole Gd2O3 and 1 wt.% CeO2 to Gd123 enhanced the Tc, Jc and magnetic flux density (H) of the TSMG processed Gd123 sample owing to the formation of the superconducting phase with high flux pinning capability. The Tc of the TSMG processed Gd1.5 was 92 K and the transition width was 1 K. The Jcs at 77 K (0 T and 2 T) were 3.2×104 A/cm2 and 2.5×104 A/cm2, respectively. The H at 77 K of the TSMG-processed Gd1.5 was 1.96 kG, which is 54% of the applied magnetic field (3.45 kG).

(Y123) powders for the fabrication of bulk superconductors were synthesized by the powder reaction method using (99.9% purity), (99.75%) and CuO (99.9%) powders. The raw powders were weighed to the cation ratio of Y:Ba:Cu=1:2:3, mixed and calcined at in air with intermediate repeated crushing steps. It was found that the formation of Y123 powder was more sensitive to reaction temperature than reaction time. The calcined Y123 powder and a mixture of (Y123 + 0.25 mole + 1 wt.% , (Y1.5)) were used as raw powders for the fabrication of poly-grain or single grain superconductors. The superconducting transition temperature () of the sintered Y123 sample was 91 K and the transition width was as large as 11 K, whereas the of the melt-grown Y1.5 sample was 90.5 K and the transition width was 3.5 K. The critical current density () at 77 K and 0 T of the sintered Y123 was 700 , whereas the of the top-seeded melt growth (TSMG) processed Y1.5 sample was . The magnetic flux density (H) at 77 K of the TSMG-processed Y123 and Y1.5 sample showed the 0.53 kG and 2.45 kG, respectively, which are 15% and 71% of the applied magnetic field of 3.5 kG. The high H value of the TSMG-processed Y1.5 sample is attributed to the formation of the larger superconducting grain with fine Y211 dispersion.

Large single grain Gd1.5Ba2Cu3O7-y (Gd1.5) bulk superconductors were fabricated by a top-seeded melt growth (TSMG) process using an NdBa2Cu3O7-y seed. The seeded Gd1.5 powder compacts with a diameter of 50 mm were subjected to the heating cycles of a TSMG process. After the TSMG process, the diameter of the single grain Gd1.5 compact was reduced to 43 mm owing to the volume contraction during the heat treatment. The superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of the top surface of the single grain Gd1.5 sample was as high as 93.5 K. The critical current densities (Jcs) at 77 K and 1T and 1.5 T were in ranges of 25,200-43,900 A/cm2 and 10,000-23,000 A/cm2, respectively. The maximum attractive force at 77 K of the sample field-cooled using an Nd-B-Fe permanent magnet (surface magnetic field of 0. 527 T) was 108.3 N; the maximum repulsive force of the zero field-cooled sample was 262 N. The magnetic flux density of the sample field-cooled at 77 K was 0.311T, which is approximately 85% of the applied magnetic field of 0.375 T. Microstructure investigation showed that many Gd2BaCuO5 (Gd211) particles of a few μm in size, which are flux pinning sites of Gd123, were trapped within the GdBa2Cu3O7-y (Gd123) grain; unreacted Ba3Cu5O8 liquid and Gd211 particles were present near the edge regions of the single grain Gd1.5 bulk compact.

The effects of nano addition to superconducting properties of processed superconductors was examined. 0.1 wt.% and 1 wt.% nano powders were mixed with boron and magnesium powders by ball milling. The powder mixtures were made into pellets by uniaxial pressing. The pellets were heat-treated at in argon atmosphere for formation. It was found by powder X-ray diffraction that the raw powders were completely converted into after the heat treatment. The superconducting transition temperature () and critical current density (), estimated from susceptibility-temperature and curves, were decreased by nano addition. The and decrease by nano addition are attributed to the incorporation of iron and carbon with lattices (Fe substitution for Mg and C substitution for B) due to the high reactivity of the nano powder.

Ni-W(1-5 at.%) alloy rods were made by powder metallurgy process including powder mixing, compacting and subsequent sintering. Ni and W powder of appropriate compositions were mixed by a ball milling and isostatically pressed in a rubber mold into a rod. The compacted rods were sintered at at a reduced atmosphere for densification. The lattice parameters of Ni-W alloys were estimated by a high resolution neutron powder diffractometer. All sintered rods were found to have a face centered cubic structure without any impurity phase, but the diffraction peak locations were linearly shifted with increasing W content. The lattice parameter of a pure Ni rod was which is consistent with the value reported in JCPDS data. The lattice parameter of N-W alloy rods increased by for 1 atomic % of W, which indicates the formation of a Ni-W solid solution due to the substitution of nickel atoms by tungsten atoms of larger size.

Carbon was known to be one of effective additives which can improve the flux pinning of at high magnetic fields. In this study, glycerin was selected as a chemical carbon source for the improvement of critical current density of . In order to replace some of boron atoms by carbon atoms, the boron powder was heat-treated with liquid glycerin. The glycerin-treated boron powder was mixed with an appropriate amount of magnesium powder to composition and the powder pallets were heat treated at for 30 min in a flowing argon gas. It was found that the superconducting transition temperature of prepared using glycerin-treated boron powder was 36.6 K, which is slightly smaller than (37.1 K) of undoped . The critical current density of was higher than that of undoped and the improvement effect was more remarkable at higher magnetic fields. The , decrease and increase associated with the glycerin treatment for boron powder was explained in terms of the carbon substitution to boron site.

320˚C, 40%NaOH 용액의 autoclave에서 약 300wppm의 탄소를 함유하고 있는 15Cr-9Fe-balanced Ni 합금 판상시편에 대해 응력부식 저항성을 조사하였다. 부식시편은 700˚C, 100시간 동안의 열처리로 합금내부에 석출될 수 있는 가능한 한 많은 양의 크롬계 탄화물을 석출시킨 후, 다시 재용해에 의해 크롬계 탄화물의 형태를 조절하는 800˚C-950˚C범위의 최종열처리를 시행하고 급냉시킨 다음 U-자형으로 응력을 가하여 준비되었다. 최종열처리 온도가 올라감에 따라 시편들의 입계응력부식균열(IGSCC ) 전파속도는 900˚C까지는 거의 직선적으로 증가하다가 950˚C에서는 700˚C에서 얻은 값보다도 더 낮게 감소하였다. 즉, 크롬계 탄화물이 재용해되어 그 밀도가 감소함에 따라 IGSCC저항성이 감소하다가 완전히 재용해된 950˚C 열처리 조건에서 오히겨 가장 큰 IGSCC 저항성을 나타내었다. 이와같은 최조열처리 온도에 따른 니켈계 합금 600의 부식거동은 입계에 존재하는 크롬계탄화물의 형태변화 때문이 아니라 입계에서 탄소-크롬계 탄화물-크롬간의 상평형에 의해 이루어지는 탄소의 입계편석량이 크롬계탄화물이 존재할 때에는 열처리 온도에 따라 증가하다가 그것이 완전히 재용해 되었을 때 가장 낮아지기 때문인 것으로 생각된다.