The present investigation has attemped to optimize hydrogen reduction process for the mass production of Fe-8wt%Ni nanoalloy powder from ball milled powder. In-situ hygrometry study was performed to monitor the reduction behavior in real time through measurement of water vapor outflowing rate. It was found that the reduction process can be optimized by taking into account the apparent influence of water vapor trap in the reactor on reduction kinetics which strongly depends on gas flow rate, reactor volume and reduction.

The present investigation has been performed on full densification behavior and mechanical property of the powder injection molded Fe-8wt%Ni nanoalloy powder. The net shaping process of the nanopowder was conducted by powder injection molding (PIM) process. The key-process for fabricating fully densified net-shaped nanopowder by pressureless sintering is an optimal control of agglomerate size of nanopowder. Enhanced mechanical property of PIMed Fe-Ni nanopowder is explained by grain refinement and microstructural uniformity.

Synthesis of iron nanopowder by room-temperature electrochemical reduction process of nanopowder was investigated in terms of phase evolution and microstructure. As process variables, reduction time and applied voltage were changed in the range of h and V, respectively. From XRD analyses, it was found that volume of Fe phase increased with increasing reduction time and applied voltage, respectively. The crystallite size of Fe phase in all powder samples was less than 30 nm, implying that particle growth was inhibited by the reaction at room temperature. Based on the distinct equilibrium shape of crystalline particle, phase composition of nanoparticles was identified by TEM observation.

The effects of reaction temperature and precursor concentration on the microstructure and magnetic properties of nanoparticles synthesized as final products of iron acetylacetonate in chemical vapor condensation (CVC) were investigated. Pure phase was obtained at temperature above and crystallite size of nanoparticles decreased with lowering precursor concentration. Also, the coercivity decreases with decreasing crystallite size of nanopowder. The lowest coercivity was 7.8 Oe, which was obtained from the nanopowder sample synthesized at precursor concentration of 0.3M. Then, the crystallite size of nanoparticles was 8.8 nm.

Ultrasonic-milling of metal oxide nanopowders for the preparation of tungsten heavy alloys was investigated. Milling time was selected as a process variable. XRD results of metal oxide nanopowders ultrasonic-milled for 50 and 100h showed that mean crystallite size reduced with increasing milling time and there was no evidence of contamination or change of composition by impurities. It was found that nanocomposite powders reduced at in atmosphere had a composition of 93.1W-4.9Ni-2.0Fe by EDX analysis. Hardness of sintered samples of 50 and 100h was 390 and 463 Hv, respectively, which corresponds to the hardness of commercial products.

Densification behavior of nano-agglomerate powder during pressureless sintering of Fe-Ni nanopowder was investigated in terms of diffusion kinetics and microstructural development. To understand the role of agglomerate boundary for sintering process, densification kinetics of Fe-Ni nano-agglomerate powder with different agglomerate size was investigated. It was found that activation energy for densification was lower in the small-sized agglomerate powder. The increase in the volume fraction of inter-agglomerate boundary acting as high diffusion path might be responsible for the enhanced diffusion process.

Sixteen isolates showing relatively strong antagonicity against the ginger rhizome rot pathogen, Pythium zingiberum, were selected among the 155 isolates from ginger rhizome surfaces and rhizospheres of ginger cultivation fields in Wanju, Chonbuk. The isolate, 'HB 26-5'showing the strongest antagonicity was finally selected by testing duration of inhibition effect and pathogenicity to ginger. The isolated antagonistic microorganism, 'HB 26-5' was rod shape, gram positive and formed endospore. The isolate produced acids utilizing glucose, arabinose, xylose and mannitol, and acetoin at VP test, and grew anaerobically. Temperature range for growth was from 10 to 40℃ . Reaction to catalase and gelatin, hydrolysis were positive, and casein hydrolysis and indol production were negative. Based on the mycological characters and the fatty acid composition, it was identified as Bacillus polymyxa. The pathogenicity test of isolated Bacillus polymyxa 'HB 26-5'on 22 crop cultivars resulted that only the lettuce was influenced in germination, and the others were not affected.