The growing significance of sustainable energy technologies underscores the need for safe and efficient management of spent nuclear fuels (SNFs), particularly via deep geological disposal (DGD). DGD involves the long-term isolation of SNFs from the biosphere to ensure public safety and environmental protection, necessitating materials with high corrosion resistance for DGD canisters. This study investigated the feasibility of a Cu–Ni film, fabricated via additive manufacturing (AM), as a corrosion-resistant layer for DGD canister applications. A wire-fed AM technique was used to deposit a millimeter-scale Cu–Ni film onto a carbon steel (CS) substrate. Electrochemical analyses were conducted using aerated groundwater from the KAERI underground research tunnel (KURT) as an electrolyte with an NaCl additive to characterize the oxic corrosion behavior of the Cu–Ni film. The results demonstrated that the AM-fabricated Cu–Ni film exhibited enhanced corrosion resistance (manifested as lower corrosion current density and formation of a dense passive layer) in an NaCl-supplemented groundwater solution. Extensive investigations are necessary to elucidate microstructural performance, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance in the presence of various corroding agents to simplify the implementation of this technology for DGD canisters.

This study investigated the growth behavior and characteristics of compounds formed at the interface between a liquid Al-Si-Cu alloy and solid cast iron. Through microstructural analyses, it was observed that various AlFe and AlFeSi phases are formed at the interface, and the relative proportion of each phase changes when small amounts of strontium are added to the Al alloy. The results of the microstructural analysis indicate that the primary phases of the interfacial compounds in the Al-Si-Cu base alloy are Al8Fe2Si and Al4.5FeSi. However, in the Sr-added alloys, significant amounts of binary AlFe intermetallic compounds such as Al5Fe2 and Al13Fe4 formed, in addition to the AlFeSi phases. The inclusion of Sr has a slight diminishing effect on the rate at which the interfacial compounds layer thickens during the time the liquid Al alloy is in contact with the cast iron. The study also discusses the nano-indentation hardness and micro-hardness of the interfacial phases.

This study investigates the melting point and brazing properties of the aluminum (Al)-copper (Cu)-silicon (Si)-tin (Sn) alloy fabricated for low-temperature brazing based on the alloy design. Specifically, the Al-20Cu-10Si-Sn alloy is examined and confirmed to possess a melting point of approximately 520oC. Analysis of the melting point of the alloy based on composition reveals that the melting temperature tends to decrease with increasing Cu and Si content, along with a corresponding decrease as the Sn content rises. This study verifies that the Al-20Cu-10Si-5Sn alloy exhibits high liquidity and favorable mechanical properties for brazing through the joint gap filling test and Vickers hardness measurements. Additionally, a powder fabricated using the Al-20Cu-10Si-5Sn alloy demonstrates a melting point of around 515oC following melting point analysis. Consequently, it is deemed highly suitable for use as a low-temperature Al brazing material.

In order to broaden the range of application of light weight aluminum alloys, it is necessary to enhance the mechanical properties of the alloys and combine them with other materials, such as cast iron. In this study, the effects of adding small amounts of Cu and Zr to the Al-Si-Mg based alloy on tensile properties and corrosion characteristics were investigated, and the effect of the addition on the interfacial compounds layer with the cast iron was also analyzed. Although the tensile strength of the Al-Si-Mg alloy was not significantly affected by the additions of Cu and Zr, the corrosion resistance in 3.5 %NaCl solution was found to be somewhat lowered in this research. The influence of Cu and Zr addition on the type and thickness of the interfacial compounds layer formed during compound casting with cast iron was not significant, and the main interfacial compounds were identified to be Al5FeSi and Al8Fe2Si phases, as in the case of the Al-Si-Mg alloys.

The purpose of this study is to develop a zirconium-based alloy with low modulus and magnetic susceptibility to prevent the stress-shielding effect and the generation of artifacts. Zr-7Cu-xSn (x = 1, 5, 10, 15 mass%) alloys are prepared by an arc melting process. Microstructure characterization is performed by microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Mechanical properties are evaluated using micro Vickers hardness and compression test. The magnetic susceptibility is evaluated using a SQUIDVSM. The average magnetic susceptibility value of the Zr-7Cu-xSn alloy is 1.176 × 108 cm3g1. Corrosion tests of zirconiumbased alloys are conducted through polarization test. The average Icorr value of the Zr-7Cu-xSn alloy is 0.1912 A/cm2. The elastic modulus value of 14 ~ 18 GPa of the zirconium-based alloy is very similar to the elastic modulus value of 15 ~ 30 GPa of the human bone. Consequently, the Sn added zirconium alloy, Zr-7Cu-xSn, is very interesting and attractive as a biomaterial that reduces the stress-shielding effect caused by differences of elastic modulus between human bone and metallic implants. In addition, this material has the potential to be used in metallic dental implants to effectively eliminate artifacts in MRI images due to low magnetic susceptibility.

The precipitation effect of Al-6%Si-0.4%Mg-0.9%Cu-(Ti) alloy (in wt.%) after various heat treatments was studied using a laser flash device (LFA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Solid solution treatment was performed at 535 oC for 6 h, followed by water cooling, and samples were artificially aged in air at 180 oC and 220 oC for 5 h. The titanium-free alloy Al-6%Si-0.4%Mg-0.9%Cu showed higher thermal diffusivity than did the Al-6%Si-0.4%Mg-0.9%Cu-0.2%Ti alloy over the entire temperature range. In the temperature ranges below 200 oC and above 300 oC, the value of thermal diffusivity decreased with increasing temperature. As the sample temperature increased between 200 oC and 400 oC, phase precipitation occurred. From the results of DSC analysis, the temperature dependence of the change in thermal diffusivity in the temperature range between 200 oC and 400 oC was strongly influenced by the precipitation of θ'-Al2Cu, β'-Mg2Si, and Si phases. The most important factor in the temperature dependence of thermal diffusivity was Si precipitation.

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.

The relationship between the precipitation of secondary phase and the thermal properties of Al-4.5%Cu alloy (in wt.%) after various heat treatments has been studied. Solid solution treatment of alloy was performed at 808 K for 6 hours, followed by warm water quenching; then, the samples were aged in air at 473 K for different times. The thermal diffusivity of the Al-4.5%Cu alloy changed with the heat treatment conditions of the alloy at temperatures below 523 K. The as-quenched specimen had the lowest thermal diffusivity, and as the artificial aging time increased, the thermal diffusivity of the specimen increased in the temperature range between 298 and 523 K. For the specimen aged for five hours, the thermal conductivity was 12% higher than that of the as-quenched specimens at 298 K. It is confirmed that the thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity of the Al-4.5%Cu alloy significantly depend on their thermal history at temperatures below 523 K. The precipitation and dissolution of the Al2Cu phase were confirmed via DSC for the alloys, and the formation of coefficient of thermal expansion peaks in TMA was caused by precipitation. The precipitation of supersaturated solid solution of Al-4.5%Cu alloys had an additional linear expansion of ≈ 0.05 % at 643 K during thermal expansion measurement.

Porous Fe-Cu-C alloy was sintered by Pulsed Current Activated Sintering(PCAS) method within 10 min from horizontal ball mill mixture. The relative density of Fe-20wt.%Cu-0.8wt.%C alloy fabricated by PCAS method was 91%. The average hardness of the Fe-20wt.%Cu-0.8wt.%C alloy was HRB 92. The phase analysis, microstructure and composition information of the sintered alloy were investigated by using XRD, FESEM, EDAX.

In this study, the effects of Sm addition (0, 0.05, 0.2, 0.5 wt%) on the microstructure, hardness, and electrical and thermal conductivity of Al-11Si-1.5Cu aluminum alloy were investigated. As a result of Sm addition, increment in the amount of α-Al and refinement of primary Si from 70 to 10 μm were observed due to eutectic temperature depression. On the other hand, Sm was less effective at refining eutectic Si because of insufficient addition. The phase analysis results indicated that Sm-rich intermetallic phases such as Al-Fe-Mg-Si and Al-Si-Cu formed and led to decrements in the amount of primary Si and eutectic Si. These microstructure changes affected not only the hardness but also the electrical and thermal conductivity. When 0.5 wt% Sm was added to the alloy, hardness increased from 84.4 to 91.3 Hv, and electric conductivity increased from 15.14 to 16.97 MS/m. Thermal conductivity greatly increased from 133 to 157 W/m·K.

Structural and mechanical effects of the dynamical precipitation in two copper-base alloys have been investigated over a wide range of deformation temperatures. Basing upon the information gained during the experiment, also some general conclusion may be formulated. A one concerns the nature of dynamic precipitation(DP). Under this term it is commonly understood decomposition of a supersaturated solid solution during plastic straining. The process may, however, proceed in two different ways. It may be a homogeneous one from the point of view of distribution and morphological aspect of particles or it may lead to substantial difference in shape, size and particles distribution. The effect is controlled by the mode of deformation. Hence it seems to be reasonable to distinguish DP during homogeneous deformation from that which takes place in heterogeneously deformed alloy. In the first case the process can be analyzed solely in terms of particle-dislocation-particle interrelation. Much more complex problem we are facing in heterogeneously deforming alloy. Deformation bands and specific arrangement of dislocations in form of pile-ups at grain boundaries generate additional driving force and additional nucleation sites for precipitation. Along with heterogeneous precipitation, there is a homogeneous precipitation in areas between bands of coarse slip which also deform but at much smaller rate. This form of decomposition is responsible for a specially high hardening rate during high temperature straining and for thermally stable product of the decomposition of alloy.

In this study, we investigate the recycling of aluminum-based metal matrix composites(AMCs) embedded with SiC particulates. The microstructure of the AMCs is characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The possibility of recycling the composite scrap is attempted from the melted alloy and SiC particulates by re-melting, holding and solidification in crucibles. The recovery percentage of the matrix alloy is calculated after a number of holding times, 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 minutes and for different particulate sizes and weight fractions in the Al matrix. The results show that the recovery percentage of the matrix alloy, as well as the time required for maximum recovery of the matrix, is dependent on the size and weight fraction of SiC particulates. In addition, the percentage recovery increases with particulate size but drops with the particulate fraction in the matrix. The time to reach maximum recovery falls rapidly with an increase in particulate size and fraction.

Effects of annealing temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties through thickness of a Cu-3.0Ni- 0.7Si alloy processed by differential speed rolling are investigated in detail. The copper alloy with a thickness of 3 mm is rolled to a 50 % reduction at ambient temperature without lubricant and subsequently annealed for 0.5 h at 200-900 oC. The microstructure of the copper alloy after annealing is different in the thickness direction depending on the amount of the shear and compressive strain introduced by the rolling; the recrystallization occurs first in the upper roll side and center regions which are largely shear-deformed. The complete recrystallization occurs at an annealing temperature of 800 oC. The grain size after the complete recrystallization is finer than that of the conventional rolling. The hardness distribution of the specimens annealed at 500-700 oC is not uniform in the thickness direction due to partial recrystallization. This ununiformity of hardness corresponds well to the amount of shear strain in the thickness direction. The average hardness and ultimate tensile strength has the maximum values of 250 Hv and 450 Mpa, respectively, in the specimen annealed at 400 oC. It is considered that the complex mode of strain introduced by rolling directly affects the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the annealed specimens.

Effects of annealing temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties through thickness of a cold-rolled Cu-3.0Ni-0.7Si alloy were investigated in detail. The copper alloy with thickness of 3 mm was rolled to 50 % reduction at ambient temperature without lubricant and subsequently annealed for 0.5h at 200~900 oC. The microstructure of the copper alloy after annealing was different in thickness direction depending on an amount of the shear and compressive strain introduced by rolling; the recrystallization occurred first in surface regions shear-deformed largely. The hardness distribution of the specimens annealed at 500~700 oC was not uniform in thickness direction due to partial recrystallization. This ununiformity of hardness corresponded well with an amount of shear strain in thickness direction. The average hardness and ultimate tensile strength showed the maximum values of 250Hv and 450MPa in specimen annealed at 400 oC, respectively. It is considered that the complex mode of strain introduced by rolling effected directly on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the annealed specimens.

In this study, an Al-0.7wt%Fe-0.2wt%Mg-0.2wt%Cu-0.02wt%B alloy was designed to fabricate an aluminum alloy for electrical wire having both high strength and high conductivity. The designed Al alloy was processed by casting, extrusion and drawing processes. Especially, the drawing process was done by severe deformation of a rod with an initial diameter of 12 mm into a wire of 2 mm diameter; process was equivalent to an effective strain of 3.58, and the total reduction in area was 97 %. The drawn Al alloy wire was then annealed at various temperatures of 200 to 400 °C for 30 minutes. The mechanical properties, microstructural changes and electrical properties of the annealed specimens were investigated. As the annealing temperature increased, the tensile strength decreased and the elongation increased. Recovery or/and recrystallization occurred as annealing temperature increased, and complete recrystallization occurred at annealing temperatures over 300 °C. Electric conductivity increased with increasing temperature up to 250 °C, but no significant change was observed above 300 °C. It is concluded that, from the viewpoint of the mechanical and electrical properties, the specimen annealed at 350 oC is the most suitable for the wire drawn Al alloy electrical wire.

본 연구는 구리 아연 금속합금의 산화 환원 반응과 합성 알루미늄 실리케이트의 흡착 반응을 이용한 폐수 중 중금속 처리에 관한 연구이다. 극세사 형태로 제조된 구리 아연 금속합금이 수용액 중에 서 산화 환원반응에 의해 아연보다 이온화 경향이 작은 중금속은 환원 처리되고, 이온화 된 아연 및 미 반응 중금속은 흡착 처리하여 제거하는 연구이다. 극세사 형태로 제조된 금속합금 물질은 표면적이 커서 1회 처리만으로도 반응 평형에 도달하게 하여 효율이 높은 것으로 나타났다. 크롬(Cr+3)은 redox 반응 1 회 처리만으로도 100.0 % 제거 되었으며, 수은은 98.0 %, 주석 92.0 %, 구리는 91.4 % 정도 제거되었 다. 카드뮴, 니켈, 납도 각각 40.0 %, 50.0 %, 58.0 %가 제거 되었다. 크롬(Cr+3)은 아연과 이온화 경향 차이가 거의 없지만 제거 효율이 높은 것으로 나타났는데 이는 3가 크롬은 이온 상태로 존재하면 redox 반응에서 발생한 OH- 이온과 결합하여 수산화물 침전을 형성하는 것으로 판단된다. Redox 반응 후 증 가한 아연 및 미반응 중금속 농도를 알루미늄실리케이트를 1회 통과하여 거의 100.0 % 제거할 수 있었 다. 이는 합성 알루미늄 실리케이트의 비표면적이 크고 금속 이온의 흡착능력이 우수한 것으로 나타났으 며, 반응 후 알루미늄 이온은 증가하지 않는 것으로 보아 이온 교환이 아닌 흡착으로 아연 및 중금속 이 온들을 제거할 수 있는 것으로 나타났다.