Thermal shock resistance property has recently been considered to be one of the most important basic properties, in the same way that the transverse-rupture property is important for sintered hard materials such as ceramics, cemented carbides, and cermets. Attempts were made to evaluate the thermal shock resistance property of 10 vol% TaC added Ti(C,N)-Ni cermets using the infrared radiation heating method. The method uses a thin circular disk that is heated by infrared rays in the central area with a constant heat flux. The technique makes it possible to evaluate the thermal shock strength (Tss) and thermal shock fracture toughness (Tsf) directly from the electric powder charge and the time of fracture, despite the fact that Tss and Tsf consist of the thermal properties of the material tested. Tsf can be measured for a specimen with an edge notch, while Tss cannot be measured for specimens without such a notch. It was thought, however, that Tsf might depend on the radius of curvature of the edge notch. Using the Tsf data, Tss was calculated using a consideration of the stress concentration. The thermal shock resistance property of 10 vol% TaC added Ti(C,N)-Ni cermet increased with increases in the content of nitrogen and Ni. As a result, it was considered that Tss could be applied to an evaluation of the thermal shock resistance of cermets.

In order to clarify the effect of Nb addition on the ductile-brittle transition property of sintered TiC, TiC-10 mol% Nb composites were researched using a three-point bending test at temperatures from room temperature to 2020 K, and the fracture surface was observed by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the Nb addition decreases the ductile-brittle transition temperature of sintered TiC by 300 K and increases the ductility. The room temperature bending strength was maintained at up to 1800 K, but drastically dropped at higher temperatures in pure TiC. The strength increased moderately to a value of 320MPa at 1600 K in TiC-10 mol% Nb composites, which is 40% of the room temperature strength. Pores were observed in both the grains and the grain boundaries. It can be seen that, as Nb was added, the size of the grain decreased. The ductile-brittle transition temperature in TiC-10 mol% Nb composites was determined to be 1550 K. Above 1970 K, yieldpoint behavior was observed. When the grain boundary and cleavage strengths exceed the yield strength, plastic deformation is observed at about the same stress level in bending as in compression. The effect of Nb addition is discussed from the viewpoint of ability for plastic deformation.

The deformation properties of a TiC-Mo eutectic composite were investigated in a compression test at temperaturesranging from room temperature to 2053K and at strain rates ranging from 3.9×10−5s−1 to 4.9×10−3s−1. It was found that thismaterial shows excellent high-temperature strength as well as appreciable room-temperature toughness, suggesting that thematerial is a good candidate for high-temperature application as a structure material. At a low-temperature, high strength isobserved. The deformation behavior is different among the three temperature ranges tested here, i.e., low, intermediate and high.At an intermediate temperature, no yield drop occurs, and from the beginning the work hardening level is high. At a hightemperature, a yield drop occurs again, after which deformation proceeds with nearly constant stress. The temperature- andyield-stress-dependence of the strain is the strongest in this case among the three temperature ranges. The observed high-temperature deformation behavior suggests that the excellent high-temperature strength is due to the constraining of thedeformation in the Mo phase by the thin TiC components, which is considerably stronger than bulk TiC. It is also concludedthat the appreciable room-temperature toughness is ascribed to the frequent branching of crack paths as well as to the plasticdeformation of the Mo phase.

Composites of insulating polyethylene and carbon black are widely used in switching elements, conductive paint, and other applications due to the large gap of resistance value. This research addresses the critical exponent of dielectric breakdown strength of polymer matrix composites (PMC) made with carbon black and polyethylene below the percolation threshold (Pt) for the first time. Here, Pt means the volume fraction of carbon black of which the resistance of the PMC is transferred from its sharp decrease to gradual decrease in accordance with the increase of carbon-black-filled content. First, the Pt is determined based on the critical exponents of resistivity and relative permittivity. Although huge cohesive bodies of carbon black are formed in case of being less than the Pt, a percolation path connecting the conducting phases is not formed. The dielectric breakdown strength (Dbs) of the PMC below Pt is measured by using an impulse voltage in the range from 10 kV to 40 kV to avoid the effect of joule heating. Although the observed Dbs data seems to be well fitted to a straight line with a slope of 0.9 on a double logarithm of (Pt-VCB) and Dbs, the least squares method gives a slope of 0.97 for the PMC. It has been found that finite carbon-black clusters play an important role in dielectric breakdown.

It is known that the relative dielectric constant of insulating polyethylene matrix composites with conducting materials (such as carbon black and metal powder) increases as the conducting material content increases below the percolation threshold. Below the percolation threshold, dielectric properties show an ohmic behavior and their value is almost the same as that of the matrix. The change is very small, but its origin is not clear. In this paper, the dielectric properties of carbon black-filled polyethylene matrix composites are studied based on the effect medium approximation theory. Although there is a significant amount of literature on the calculation based on the theory of changing the parameters, an overall discussion taking into account the theory is required in order to explain the dielectric properties of the composites. Changes of dielectric properties and the temperature dependence of dielectric properties of the composites made of carbon particle and polyethylene below the percolation threshold for the volume fraction of carbon black have been discussed based on the theory. Above the percolation threshold, the composites are satisfied with the universal law of conductivity, whereas below the percolation threshold, they give the critical exponent of s = 1 for dielectric constant. The rate at which the percentages of both the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss factor for temperature increases with more volume fraction below the percolation threshold.

In this paper two aspects of the percolation and conductivity of carbon black-filled polyethylene matrix composites will be discussed. Firstly, the percolation behavior, the critical exponent of conductivity of these composites, are discussed based on studying the whole change of resistivity, the relationship between frequency and relative permittivity or ac conductivity. There are two transitions of resistivity for carbon black filling. Below the first transition, resistivity shows an ohmic behavior and its value is almost the same as that of the matrix. Between the first and second transition, the change in resistivity is very sharp, and a non-ohmic electric field dependence of current has been observed. Secondly, the electrical conduction property of the carbon black-filled polyethylene matrix composites below the percolation threshold is discussed with the hopping conduction model. This study investigates the electrical conduction property of the composites below the percolation threshold based on the frequency dependence of conductivity in the range of 20 Hz to 1 MHz. There are two components for the observed ac loss current. One is independent of frequency that becomes prevalent in low frequencies just below the percolation threshold and under a high electrical field. The other is proportional to the frequency of the applied ac voltage in high frequencies and its origin is not clear. These results support the conclusion that the electrical conduction mechanism below the percolation threshold is tunneling.

Temperature dependency of resistivity of the carbon black-polyethylene composites below and above percolation threshold is studied based on the electrical conduction mechanism. Temperature coefficient of resistance of the composites below percolation threshold changed from minus to plus, increasing volume fraction of carbon black; this trend decreased with increasing volume fraction of carbon black. The temperature dependence of resistivity of the composites below percolation threshold can be explained with a tunneling conduction model by incorporating the effect of thermal expansion of the composites into a tunneling gap. Temperature coefficient of resistance of the composites above percolation threshold was positive and its absolute value increased with increasing volume fraction of carbon black. By assuming that the electrical conduction through percolating paths is a thermally activated process and by incorporating the effect of thermal expansion into the volume fraction of carbon black, the temperature dependency of the resistivity above percolation threshold has been well explained without violating the universal law of conductivity. The apparent activation energy is estimated to be 0.14 eV.

WC-Co와 WC-Co 초경합금중 WC/WC 입계의 구조와 입계 편석상태를 알아볼 목적으로 HRTEM과 EDS를 이용하여 연구하였다. 일부의 입계들은 액상에 의하여 분리된 상태로 관찰되었으나, 상당수는 원자적 상태의 연소계면이었다. 또 연속계면 중 WC-Co 합금에서는 Co 상이 편석되어 있었으며, WC-VC-Co 합금에서는 Co와 V이 동시에 편석되어 있음을 알 수 있었다. 그 편석의 폭은 약6nm이었다. 연속 계면 중 V의 편석은 소결 또는 열처리 시에 일어나는 입계 이동을 억제하는 데 효과적인 역할을 할 것으로 여겨졌다. 동시에 이것은 WC-Co 초경합금에서 VC 첨가에 의한 입성상 억제기구를 설명할 수 있는 것으로 사료되었다.

Ta(TaC) 필라멘트를 이용한 HF-CVD 법에 의하여 Si3N4, SiC, WC, Al2O3를 기판으로 다이아몬드 박막을 증착하고, 그 밀착특성을 평가하였다. 로내의 CH4농도를 10%로 높게 하였을 경우에는 막중에 graphitic(amorphous) carbon이 생성됨을 확인할 수 있었다. 박막을 12μm 정도까지 두껍게 하면, WC기판에서는 부분적 박리형상이 관찰되었으나, Si3N4를 기판으로 하였을 경우에는 안정한 박막을 얻을 수 있었다. Indentation test 결과로부터 grainding에 의한 기판표 처리가 밀착성 향상에 효과적이라는 것을 알 수 있었다. 또 compression topple test에서는 박막의 두께는 밀착성과 반비례의 관계를 가지는 것을 알 수 있었다. 수 있었다.