In this study, the effect of milling time on the microstructure and phase transformation behaviors of Ni-12 wt.%B powders was investigated using vibratory ball milling process. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the phase transformation of mixed Ni-B elemental powder occurred after 50 hours of milling, with a formation of nickel boride phases. Through the study of microstructures in mechanical alloying process, it was considered that ball milling strongly accelerates solid-state diffusions of the Ni and B atoms during mechanical alloying process. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that most of B atoms in the powder were linked to Ni with a formation of nickel boride phases after 200 hours of milling. It was finally concluded that mechanical alloying using ball milling process is feasible to synthesize fine and uniform nickel boride powders.

Flat rolling of wire is an industrial process used to manufacture electrical flat wire, medical catheters, springs, piston segments and automobile parts, among other products. In a multi-step wire flat rolling process, a wire with a circular crosssection is rolled at room temperature between two flat rolls in several passes to achieve the desired thickness to width ratio. To manufacture a flat wire with a homogeneous microstructure, mechanical and metallurgical properties with an appropriate pass schedule, this study investigated the effect of each pass schedule (1stand ~ 4stand) on the microstructures, mechanical properties and widths of cold rolled high carbon steel wires using four-pass flat rolling process. The evolutions of the microstructures and mechanical properties of the widths of cold rolled wires during three different pass schedules of the flat rolling process of high carbon wires were investigated, and the results were compared with those for a conventional eight-pass schedule. In the width of cold rolled wires, three different pass schedules are clearly distinguished and discussed. The experimental conditions were the same rolling speed, rolling force, roll size, tensile strength of the material and friction coefficient. The experimental results showed that the four-pass flat cold rolling process was feasible for production of designed wire without cracks when appropriate pass schedules were applied.

The present study was focused on the synthesis of a dispersed copper matrix composite material by the combination of the mechanical milling and plasma activated sintering processes. The mixed powder was prepared by the combination of the mechanical milling and reduction processes using the copper oxide and titanium diboride powder as the raw material. The synthesized mixed powder was sintered by the plasma activated sintering process. The hardness and electric conductivity of the sintered bodies were measured using micro vickers hardness and four probe method, respectively. The relative density of composite material sintered at showed about 98% of theoretical density. The composite material has a hardness of about 130Hv and an electric conductivity of about 85% IACS. The hardness and electric conductivity of composite material were about 140 Hv and about 45% IACS, respectively.

P-type thermoelectric material was sintered by Hot Press process (HP) and the effect of boron ( at%) addition on the thermoelectric properties were reported. To enhance the thermoelectric performances, the , alloys were fabricated by mechanical alloying (MA) and HP. The carrier of p-type SiGe alloy was controlled by B-doping. The effect of sintering condition and thermoelectric properties were investigated. B-doped SiGe alloys exhibited positive seebeck coefficient. The electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity were increased at the small amount of boron content ( at%). However, they were decreased over 0.5 at% boron content. As a result, the small addition of boron improved the Z value. The Z value of 0.5 at% B doped B alloy was , the highest value among the prepared alloys

In the present study, the focus is on the analysis of the effect of the mold dimensions on the temperature distribution of a die during plasma activated sintering. The temperature distribution of a cylindrical mold with various dimensions was measured using K-type thermocouples. The temperature homogeneity of the die was studied based on the direction and dimensions of the die. A temperature gradient existed in the radial direction of the die during the plasma activated sintering. Also, the magnitude of the temperature gradient was increased with increasing sintering temperature. In the longitudinal direction, however, there was no temperature gradient. The temperature gradient of the die in the radial direction strongly depended on a ratio of die volume to punch area