For appropriate nutrient management and enhanced plant growth, soil sensors which reflect soil nutrient levels are required. Because there is no available sensor for nutrient monitoring, electrical conductivity (EC) sensor can be used to evaluate soil nutrient levels. Soil nutrient management using EC sensors would be possible by understanding the relationship between sensor EC values and soil temperature, moisture, and nutrient content. However, the relationship between soil sensor EC values and plant available nutrients was not investigated. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to evaluate effect of different amount of urea on soil EC monitored by sensors during pepper and broccoli cultivation and to predict the plant available nutrient contents in soil. During the cultivation period, soil was collected periodically for analyzing pH and EC, and the available nutrient contents. The sensor EC value increased as the moisture content increased, and low fertilizer treated soil showed the lowest EC value. Principal component analysis was performed to determine the relationship between sensor EC and available nutrients in soil. Sensor EC showed a strong positive correlation with nitrate nitrogen and available Ca. In addition, sum of available nutrients such as Ca, Mg, K, P, S and N was positively related to the sensor EC values. Therefore, EC sensors in open field can be used to predict plant available nutrient levels for proper management of the soil.

This research investigated how adding Sb (0.75, 1.0, 2.0 and 5.0 wt%) to as-extruded aluminum alloys affected their microstructure, mechanical properties, electric and thermal conductivity. The addition of Sb resulted in the formation of AlSb intermetallic compounds. It was observed that intermetallic compounds in the alloys were distributed homogenously in the Al matrix. As the content of Sb increased, the area fraction of intermetallic compounds increased. It can be clearly seen that the intermetallic compounds were crushed into fine particles and homogenously arrayed during the extrusion process. As the Sb content increased, the average grain size decreased remarkably from 282.6 μm (0.75 wt%) to 109.2 μm (5.0 wt%) due to dynamic recrystallization by the dispersed intermetallic compounds in the aluminum matrix during the hot extrusion. As the Sb content increased from 0.75 to 2.0 wt%, the electrical conductivity decreased from 61.0 to 59.8 % of the International Annealed Copper Standard. Also, as the Sb content increased from 0.75 to 2.0 wt%, the ultimate tensile strength did not significantly change, from 67.3 to 67.8 MPa.

Effects of Sc addition on microstructure, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of the as-cast and as-extruded Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg-xSc (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5 wt%) alloys are investigated. The average grain size of the as-cast Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg alloy is 2,334 μm; however, this value drops to 914 and 529 μm with addition of Sc element at 0.25 wt% and 0.5 wt%, respectively. This grain refinement is due to primary Al3Sc phase forming during solidification. The as-extruded Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg alloy has a recrystallization structure consisting of almost equiaxed grains. However, the asextruded Sc-containing alloys consist of grains that are extremely elongated in the extrusion direction. In addition, it is found that the proportion of low-angle grain boundaries below 15 degree is dominant. This is because the addition of Sc results in the formation of coherent and nano-scale Al3Sc phases during hot extrusion, inhibiting the process of recrystallization and improving the strength by pinning of dislocations and the formation of subgrain boundaries. The maximum values of the yield and tensile strength are 126 MPa and 215 MPa for the as-extruded Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg-0.25Sc alloy, respectively. The increase in strength is probably due to the existence of nano-scale Al3Sc precipitates and dense Al2Cu phases. Thermal conductivity of the as-cast Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg-xSc alloy is reduced to 204, 187 and 183 W/MK by additions of elemental Sc of 0, 0.25 and 0.5 wt%, respectively. On the other hand, the thermal conductivity of the as-extruded Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg-xSc alloy is about 200 W/Mk regardless of the content of Sc. This is because of the formation of coherent Al3Sc phase, which decreases Sc content and causes extremely high electrical resistivity.

Transparent conducting electrodes are essential components in various optoelectrical devices. Although indium tin oxide thin films have been widely used for transparent conducting electrodes, silver nanowire network is a promising alternative to indium tin oxide thin films owing to its lower processing cost and greater suitability for flexible device application. In order to widen the application of silver nanowire network, the electrical conductance has to be improved while maintaining high optical transparency. In this study, we report the enhancement of the electrical conductance of silver nanowire network transparent electrodes by copper electrodeposition on the silver nanowire networks. The electrodeposited copper lowered the sheet resistance of the silver nanowire networks from 21.9 Ω/□ to 12.6 Ω/□. We perform detailed X-ray diffraction analysis revealing the effect of the amount of electrodeposited copper-shell on the sheet resistance of the core-shell(silver/copper) nanowire network transparent electrodes. From the relationship between the cross-sectional area of the copper-shell and the sheet resistance of the transparent electrodes, we deduce the electrical resistivity of electrodeposited copper to be approximately 4.5 times that of copper bulk.

TaNx film is grown by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) using t-butylimido tris(dimethylamido) tantalum as a metalorganic source with various reactive gas species, such as N2+H2 mixed gas, NH3, and H2. Although the pulse sequence and duration are the same, aspects of the film growth rate, microstructure, crystallinity, and electrical resistivity are quite different according to the reactive gas. Crystallized and relatively conductive film with a higher growth rate is acquired using NH3 as a reactive gas while amorphous and resistive film with a lower growth rate is achieved using N2+H2 mixed gas. To examine the relationship between the chemical properties and resistivity of the film, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is conducted on the ALD-grown TaNx film with N2+H2 mixed gas, NH3, and H2. For a comparison, reactive sputter-grown TaNx film with N2 is also studied. The results reveal that ALD-grown TaNx films with NH3 and H2 include a metallic Ta-N bond, which results in the film’s higher conductivity. Meanwhile, ALD-grown TaNx film with a N2+H2 mixed gas or sputtergrown TaNx film with N2 gas mainly contains a semiconducting Ta3N5 bond. Such a different portion of Ta-N and Ta3N5 bond determins the resistivity of the film. Reaction mechanisms are considered by means of the chemistry of the Ta precursor and reactive gas species.

Doped-LaCrO3 perovskites, because of their good electrical conductivity and thermal stability in oxidizing and/or reducing environments, are used in high temperature solid oxide fuel cells as a gas-tight and electrically conductive interconnection layer. In this study, perovskite (La0.8Ca0.2)(Cr0.9Co0.1)O3 (LCCC) coatings manufactured by atmospheric plasma spraying followed by heat treatment at 1200 oC have been investigated in terms of microstructural defects, gas tightness and electrical conductivity. The plasma-sprayed LCCC coating formed an inhomogeneous layered structure after the successive deposition of fully-melted liquid droplets and/or partially-melted droplets. Micro-sized defects including unfilled pores, intersplat pores and micro-cracks in the plasma-sprayed LCCC coating were connected together and allowed substantial amounts gas to pass through the coating. Subsequent heat treatment at 1200 oC formed a homogeneous granule microstructure with a small number of isolated pores, providing a substantial improvement in the gas-tightness of the LCCC coating. The electrical conductivity of the LCCC coating was consequently enhanced due to the complete elimination of inter-splat pores and microcracks, and reached 53 S/cm at 900 oC.

The effect of CNT diameters on properties of CNT-polyamide composites was investigated such as electrical conductivity, tensile strength and thermal conductivity. To get different diameter distributions of CNTs, several portions of Mo and Fe in Mo-Fe/MgO catalysts were synthesized by a combustion method at 600℃. And all CNTs growed at 900℃ with 3 SLM methane and 1 SLM hydrogen for 40min. Four kinds of CNTs with different diameter distributions, such as 1~3nm, 3~7nm, 7~13nm, and 10~30nm, were selected to make CNT-polyamide composites. Each composite was manufactured by a solution mixing using bar-type ultra-sonicator in the CNT portions from 1phr to 50phr. And electrical conductivity, tensile strength, and thermal conductivity were measured. Three properties of CNT-polyamide composite, manufactured with 10nm diameter, were more excellent compared to other composites, with electrical conductivity  Ω at 7phr, thermal conductivity 2.4.W/mK at 40phr, tensile strength 60MPa at 30phr. CNTs with a diameter of 10nm were superior to other diameters for the multi-functional composite such as CNT-polyamide composites.

In this paper, a three dimensional numerical analysis tool was applied to study the PEMFC performance characteristics. The porosity and electrical conductivity of GDL and CL as well as the relative humidity of anode and cathode channel gas were selected as simulation parameters. The porosity of GDL and CL was varied as 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7. The relative humidity of anode and cathode was varied as 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 percent. The electrical conductivity of GDL and CL was varied as 1, 5, 10, 50, 102, and 104 1/Ω·m. For a constant cell voltage condition, the maximum current density was obtained at GDL porosity of 0.7, anode relative humidity of 100 percent, cathode relative humidity of 60 percent, and electrical conductivity of 104 1/Ω·m for GDL and CL. As the porosity of GDL and CL increases, current density increases because reactant gases diffuse well. As the electrical conductivity of GDL and CL increases, current density increases due to increased electron transfer rate. As anode relative humidity increases, current density increases. Unlike anode, current density increases when cathode relative humidity increases from 0 percent to 60 percent. Then current density decreases when cathode relative humidity increases from 60 percent to 100 percent.

In this study, the effect of Sn and Mg on microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu-Fe-P alloy were investigated by using scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, tensile strength, electrical conductivity, thermal softening, size and distribution of the precipitation phases in order to satisfy characteristic for lead frame material. It was observed that Cu-0.14wt%Fe-0.03wt%P-0.05wt%Si-0.1wt%Zn with Sn and Mg indicates increasing tensile strength compare with PMC90 since Sn restrained the growth of the Fe-P precipitation phase on the matrix. However, the electrical conductivity was decreased by adding addition of Sn and Mg because Sn was dispersed on the matrix and restrained the growth of the Fe-P precipitation. The size of 100 nm Mg3P2 precipitation phase was observed having lattice parameter a:12.01Å such that [111] zone axis. According to the results of the study, the tensile strength and the electrical conductivity satisfied the requirements of lead frame; so, there is the possibility of application as a substitution material for lead frame of Cu alloy.

This study looked at high performance copper-based alloys as LED lead frame materials with higher electrical-conductivity and the maintenance of superior tensile strength. This study investigated the effects on the tensile strength, electrical conductivity, thermal softening, size and distribution of the precipitation phases when Cr was added in Cu-Fe alloy in order to satisfy characteristics for LED Lead Frame material. Strips of the alloys were produced by casting and then properly treated to achieve a thickness of 0.25 mm by hot-rolling, scalping, and cold-rolling; mechanical properties such as tensile strength, hardness and electrical-conductivity were determined and compared. To determine precipitates in alloy that affect hardness and electrical-conductivity, electron microscope testing was also performed. Cr showed the effect of precipitation hardened with a Cr3Si precipitation phase. As a result of this experiment, appropriate aging temperature and time have been determined and we have developed a copper-based alloy with high tensile strength and electrical-conductivity. This alloy has the possibility for use as a substitution material for the LED Lead Frame of Cu alloy.

Hydrogen production via high high-temperature steam electrolysis consumes less electrical energy than compared to conventional low low-temperature water electrolysis, mainly due to the improved thermodynamics and kinetics at elevated temperaturetemperatures. The elementalElemental powders of Cu, Ni, and YSZ are were used to synthesize high high-temperature electrolysis cathodecathodes, of Ni/YSZ and Cu/YSZ composites, by mechanical alloying. The metallic particles of the composites were uniformly covered with finer YSZ particles. Sub-micron sized pores are were homogeneously dispersed in the Ni/YSZ and Cu/YSZ composites. In this study, The cathode materials were synthesized and their Characterizations properties were evaluated in this study: It was found that the better electric conductivity of the Cu/YSZ composite was measured improved compared tothan that of the Ni/YSZ composite. Slight A slight increase in the resistance can be produced for in a Cu/YSZ cathode by oxidation, but it this is compensated offset for by a favorable thermal expansion coefficient. Therefore, Cu/YSZ cermet can be adequately used as a suitable cathode material of in high high-temperature electrolysis.

제주도는 현무암과 조면암으로부터 기원한 투수성 높은 토양으로 인하여 지표수 유입에 따른 상시하천 발달이 어려워, 용수의 대부분을 지하수에 의존하고 있다. 이에 따른 무분별한 지하수 개발은 지하수위 강하로 이어져, 제주도내 많은 지역에서 지하수 오염과 해수침투 현상이 나타나고 있다. 제주특별자치도는 제주도의 항구적인 지하수자원 보전을 위하여 1994년 이래 일부 지역을 지하수 보전구역으로 지정하였으며, 이 지역내의 모든 지하수 개발은 허가를 받도록 지정한 바 있다. 또한 지하수 수문과 관련된 수리지질 정보 획득을 위하여, 2001년 이래로 제주도 내 해안지역 및 저지대 전체를 대상으로 지하수 관측망을 설치 운영 중이다. 본 연구에서 이러한 지하수 관측망으로부터 얻어진 지하수위, 수온, 전기전도도 등 장기 관측자료를 분석한 결과, 북부 해안지역의 경우 지하수위가 지속적으로 하강하는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 동부 해안지역의 경우는 최근 취수량의 급격한 증가에 따른 해수침투의 영향으로, 대부분의 관측정에서 전기전도도가 높게 나타나며 지속적으로 증가하고 있는 추세로 분석되었다. 이러한 문제점들은 지하수 개발과 관련하여 제주특별자치도의 강력한 통제로 인하여 최근들어 감소하는 추세이지만, 본 연구 결과에 의하면 해안지역의 경우에는 지하수위 하강 및 전기전도도 상승 현상이 지속될 것으로 판단된다.