Electrochemical water splitting presents an optimal approach for generating hydrogen ( H2), a highly promising alternative energy source. Nevertheless, the slow kinetics of the electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the exorbitant cost, limited availability, and susceptibility to oxidation of noble metal-based electrocatalysts have compelled scientists to investigate cost-effective and efficient electrocatalysts. Bimetallic nanostructured materials have been demonstrated to exhibit improved catalytic performances for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, we report carbon aerogel (CA) decorated with different molar ratios of Fe and Ni with enhanced OER activity. Microwave irradiation was involved as a novel strategy during the synthesis process. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX spectra and EDAX mapping), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HR-TEM), and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED) were used for physical characterizations of as-prepared material. Electrochemical potential towards OER was examined through cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The FeNi/CA with optimized molar ratios exhibits low overpotential 377 mV at 10 mAcm− 2, smaller Tafel slope (94.5 mV dec− 1), and high turnover frequency (1.09 s− 1 at 300 mV). Other electrocatalytic parameters were also calculated and compared with previously reported OER catalysts. Additionally, chronoamperometric studies confirmed excellent electrochemical stability, as the OER activity shows minimal change even after a stability test lasting 3600 s. Moreover, the bimetallic (Fe and Ni) carbon aerogel exhibits faster catalytic kinetics and higher conductivity than the monometallic (Fe), which was observed through EIS investigation. This research opens up possibilities for utilizing bi- or multi-metallic anchored carbon aerogel with high conductivities and exceptional electrocatalytic performances in electrochemical energy conversion.

Compared with the traditional Haber Bosch process, green and pollution-free electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction (NRR) has received considerable attention in the electrocatalysis field in the last decade. To address the issue of its low reactivity as well as the existence of competitive reactions, efficient electrocatalysts are particularly important. In this paper, NiO nanomaterials were synthesized by a simple water bath reaction. The effect of different calcination temperatures on the structure of NiO catalyst and its catalytic activity was studied. Uniform NiO-600 nanoparticles (56 ± 9.3 nm) obtained at 600 ℃ showed the best electrocatalytic NRR activity with an NH3 yield of 12 μg h− 1 mg− 1 and a Faraday efficiency of 5.5% at -0.5V (vs.RHE). The small particle size of the nanoparticles provided more active sites and the oxygen-rich vacancies facilitated the adsorption and activation of N2, which improved the catalytic activity of NiO-600. This study highlights the need for calcination temperature regulation and the huge impact on catalyst structure.

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.

에너지 패러다임의 변화가 요구되는 현대에 수소는 매력적인 에너지원이다. 이러한 수소를 정제하는 기술 중에서 분리막을 이용한 기술은 저비용으로 고순도의 수소를 정제할 수 있는 기술로 주목받고 있다. 그러나 수소 분리 성능이 뛰어 난 팔라듐(Pd)은 가격이 매우 비싸 이를 대체한 소재가 필요하다. 본 연구에서는 수소 투과 성능은 좋으나 수소 취성에 약한 니오븀(Nb)과 수소 투과 성능은 떨어지나 내구성이 뛰어난 니켈(Ni)과 지르코늄(Zr)을 혼합한 합금으로 분리막을 제조하여 1~4 bar, 350~450 °C 조건에서 수소 투과 특성을 확인하였다. Pd를 코팅하지 않은 Ni48Nb32Zr20 분리막의 경우 최대 0.69 ml/cm2/min의 투과량을 보였으며, Pd가 코팅된 경우에는 최대 13.05 ml/cm2/min의 투과량을 보였다.

Ni-CNT nanocomposites were synthesized via the electrical explosion of wire (EEW) in acetone and deionized (DI) water liquid conditions with different CNT compositions. The change in the shape and properties of the Ni-CNT nanopowders were determined based on the type of fluids and CNT compositions. In every case, the Ni nanopowder had a spherical shape and the CNT powder had a tube shape. However, the Ni-CNT nanopowders obtained in DI water exhibited irregular shapes due to the oxidation of Ni. Phase analysis also revealed the existence of nickel oxide when using DI water, as well as some unknown peaks with acetone, which may form due to the metastable phase of Ni. Magnetic properties were investigated using a Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) for all cases. Nanopowders prepared in DI water conditions had better magnetic properties than those in acetone, as evidenced by the simultaneous formation of super paramagnetic NiO peaks and ferromagnetic Ni peaks. The DI water (Ni:CNT = 1:0.3) sample revealed better magnetic results than the DI water (Ni-CNT = 1:0.5) because it had less CNT contents.

Lead-free perovskite ceramics, which have excellent energy storage capabilities, are attracting attention owing to their high power density and rapid charge-discharge speed. Given that the energy-storage properties of perovskite ceramic capacitors are significantly improved by doping with various elements, modifying their chemical compositions is a fundamental strategy. This study investigated the effect of Zn doping on the microstructure and energy storage performance of potassium sodium niobate (KNN)-based ceramics. Two types of powders and their corresponding ceramics with compositions of (1-x)(K,Na)NbO3-xBi(Ni2/3Ta1/3)O3 (KNN-BNT) and (1-x)(K,Na)NbO3-xBi(Ni1/3Zn1/3Ta1/3) O3 (KNN-BNZT) were prepared via solid-state reactions. The results indicate that Zn doping retards grain growth, resulting in smaller grain sizes in Zn-doped KNN-BNZT than in KNN-BNT ceramics. Moreover, the Zn-doped KNNBNZT ceramics exhibited superior energy storage density and efficiency across all x values. Notably, 0.9KNN-0.1BNZT ceramics demonstrate an energy storage density and efficiency of 0.24 J/cm3 and 96%, respectively. These ceramics also exhibited excellent temperature and frequency stability. This study provides valuable insights into the design of KNNbased ceramic capacitors with enhanced energy storage capabilities through doping strategies.

In this study, Ni-Y2O3 powder was prepared by alloying recomposition oxidation sintering (AROS), solution combustion synthesis (SCS), and conventional mechanical alloying (MA). The microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloys were investigated by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Among the Ni-Y2O3 powders synthesized by the three methods, the AROS powder had approximately 5 nm of Y2O3 crystals uniformly distributed within the Ni particles, whereas the SCS powder contained a mixture of Ni and Y2O3 nanoparticles, and the MA powder formed small Y2O3 crystals on the surface of large Ni particles by milling the mixture of Ni and Y2O3. The average grain size of Y2O3 in the sintered alloys was approximately 15 nm, with the AROS sinter having the smallest, followed by the SCS sinter at 18 nm, and the MA sinter at 22 nm. The yield strength (YS) of the SCS- and MA-sintered alloys were 1511 and 1688 MPa, respectively, which are lower than the YS value of 1697 MPa for the AROS-sintered alloys. The AROS alloy exhibited improved strength compared to the alloys fabricated by SCS and conventional MA methods, primarily because of the increased strengthening from the finer Y2O3 particles and Ni grains.

For safe disposal of radioactive wastes, accurate analysis of nuclear isotopes is important. It is known that there are 14 nuclides that have to identify nuclide-specific concentration levels. 63Ni, one of non-volatile nuclear isotopes which is included in those 14 nuclides, has to follow chemical separation for exact analysis. As various analysis methods were developed, various methods for analyzing 63Ni also emerged. Past method has used measurement specimens of 59Ni, after 59Ni measurement has been done. It used HClO4, known as strong oxidizing agent, to dissolve DMG, an organic substance used to form 59Ni precipitates. Nowadays, we analyze 59Ni and 63Ni simultaneously, which enables short analysis time, without use of HClO4. But high accuracy is just as important as short measurement time and efficiency. So, this paper compare 63Ni specific activity value used new method with the value, past method used, using real sample’s data. As a result, all sample data from new method’s relative 63Ni specific activity is within the uncertainty range of past ones based on past specific activity value. Consistency of new method’s result and past method’s data increased the reliability of the data and accuracy of those methods.

In the decommissioning process of nuclear power plants, Ni-59, Ni-63 and Fe-55 present in radioactive waste are crucial radionuclides used as fundamental indicators in determining waste treatment methods. However, due to their low-energy emissions, the chemical separation of these two radionuclides is essential compared to others. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the suitability of various pre-treatment methods for decommissioning waste materials by conducting characteristic assessments at each chemical separation stage. The goal is to find the most optimized pre-treatment method for the analysis of Ni-59, Ni-63 and Fe-55 in decommissioning waste. The comparative evaluation results confirm that the chemical separation procedures for Fe and Ni are very stable in terms of stepwise recovery rates and the removal of interfering radionuclides. However, decommissioning waste materials, which mainly consist of concrete, metals, etc., possess unique properties, and a significant portion may be low-radioactivity waste suitable for on-site disposal. Considering that the chemical behavior and reaction characteristics may vary at each chemical separation stage depending on the matrix properties of the materials, it is considered necessary to apply cascading chemical separation or develop and apply individual chemical separation methods. This should be done by verifying and validating their effectiveness on actual decommissioning waste materials.

This work describes Ni–Ce–Cu metallic–organic framework (MOF) for the detection of non-essential amino acid l-cysteine. The tri-metallic Ni–Ce–Cu MOF was synthesized via a solvothermal method. The cyclic voltammetry and the differential pulse voltammetry techniques were used to examine the electrochemical detection of l-cysteine. The Ni–Ce–Cu MOF shows an oxidation peak in PB solution at pH 3.0 between the potential range of 0.0 and 0.7 V and strong electro-catalytic activity toward the oxidation of l-cysteine across a wide linear range of 0.1 to 250 nM and low detection limit (LOD) was calculated of 1.56 nM. The analysis of l-cysteine in milk and egg yolk samples showed with recovery range of 96.75–103.5% and 97.78–99.43% with RSD% of 2.3–3.2% and 2.7–7.2%, respectively. These results show the Ni–Ce–Cu MOF has high selectivity for l-cysteine detection in milk and egg samples.

With the increasing attention to environmental pollution caused by particulate matter globally, the automotive industry has also become increasingly interested in particulate matter, especially particulate matter generated by automobile brake systems. Here, we designed a coating composition and analyzed its mechanical properties to reduce particulate matter generated by brake systems during braking of vehicles. We designed a composition to check the mechanical properties change by adding Cr3C2 and YSZ to the WC-Ni-Cr composite composition. Based on the designed composition, coating samples were manufactured, and the coating properties were analyzed by Vickers hardness and ball-on-disk tests. As a result of the experiments, we found that the hardness and friction coefficient of the coating increased as the amount of Cr3C2 added decreased. Furthermore, we found that the hardness of the coating layer decreased when YSZ was added at 20vol%, but the friction coefficient was higher than the composition with Cr3C2 addition.

본 연구는 에너지 저장 응용을 위한 PVI-PGMA/LiTFSI 고분자 막 전해질 및 CxNy-C 유연 전극의 합성 및 특성 에 관한 연구이다. 이중 기능을 갖는 PVI-PGMA 공중합체는 우수한 이온 전도성을 나타내었으며, PVI-GMA73/LiTFSI200 막 전해질은 1.0 × 10-3 S cm-1의 최고 전도도를 달성하였다. CxNy-C 전극의 전기화학적 성능을 체계적으로 분석하였으며, C3N2-C는 나노와이어와 다면체로 구성된 높은 연결성을 갖는 하이브리드 구조와 이중 Co/Ni 산화물을 포함하여 풍부한 산 화환원 활성 부위와 이온 확산을 용이하게 하는 특징으로 인해 958 F g-1의 최고용량 및 최소한의 전하 전달 저항(Rct)을 달성 하였다. 흑연 탄소 껍질의 존재는 충전-방전 동안 높은 전기화학적 안정성에 기여하였다. 이러한 결과들은 고성능 에너지 저 장 장치인 슈퍼커패시터 및 리튬 이온 전지와 같은 첨단 에너지 저장 장비에 PVI-PGMA/LiTFSI 고분자 막 전해질과 CxNy-C 전극을 활용하는 잠재력을 보여주었으며, 지속 가능하고 고성능의 에너지 저장 기술을 더욱 발전시키는 길을 열어가 고 있다.

Graphene-derived materials are an excellent electrode for electrochemical detection of heavy metals. In this study, a MnO2/ graphene supported on Ni foam electrode was prepared via ultrasonic impregnation and electrochemical deposition. The resulting electrode was used to detect Pb(II) in the aquatic environment. The graphene and MnO2 deposited on the Ni foam not only improved active surface area, but also promoted the electron transfer. The electrochemical performance towards Pb(II) was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). The prepared electrode exhibited lower limit of detection (LOD, 0.2 μM (S/N = 3)) and good sensitivity (59.9 μAμM−1) for Pb(II) detection. Moreover, the prepared electrodes showed good stability and reproducibility. This excellent performance can be attributed to the strong adhesion force between graphene and MnO2, which provides compact structures for the enhancement of the mechanical stability. Thus, these combined results provide some technical considerations and scientific insights for the detection of heavy metal ions using composite electrodes.

Crystallographic properties of Ni-based alloys such as alloys 600, 617, and Hastelloy N, which are a candidate to be used as structural materials in Molten Salt Reactor (MSR), were studied in the temperature range of 25-1,000°C using high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD) under an Ar atmosphere. We found that face-centered cubic Ni crystal structure at room temperature was started to be changed over 600°C in all Ni-based samples. However, the appearance of changing diffraction patterns over 600°C was different for all samples. In addition, we observed the increase in the lattice constant along the a-axis upon heating in all specimens, determined by Pawley refinement of HTXRD data.

Molten salt is one of the promising medium materials for molten salt reactors and energy storage systems. Molten salt is advantageous for better physical properties such as low melting point and high boiling point, high energy capacity, high thermal conductivity, and high thermal stability than other medium materials such as water or liquid metals. However, the corrosivity of the molten salt is one of the main factors that disturbs the various applications of the molten salt. On the other hand, metallic 3-D printing technologies have developed by leaps and bounds over the past 20 years and show potential for use in cutting-edge industries such as aerospace and military purposes. However, the biggest problem of 3-D printed products is that the mechanical and physical properties are very weak along the laminated plane that was generated during the manufacturing process. In particular, other research showed that corrosion is vulnerable through the laminated surface, and corrosion along the laminated plane is not completely mitigated through a general heat treatment process although the microstructure of the surface is evaluated to be partially mitigated by the heat treatment. In this study, molten salt corrosion behaviors of simple Ni-based alloy with a composition of 80Ni- 20Cr were analyzed. Ni-based alloys were fabricated by casting and 3-D printing, and some of the 3-D printed specimens were thermally treated at 1,273 K for 1 hour to examine the effects of heat treatment on corrosion behaviors. In molten eutectic NaCl-MgCl2 melts at 973 K, Ni-based alloys were corroded for 1, 3, 7, and 28 days and their microstructural changes were analyzed by SEM-EBSD-EDS and OM. The corrosion behaviors of the alloy were also evaluated by the salt composition measured with ICPOES. 3-D printed alloy with post-treatment showed more resistivity to the molten salt corrosion than as-fabricated 3-D printed alloy. However, the corrosion rate of the 3-D printed specimen after heat treatment was still higher than that made by casting.

In molten salt reactor (MSR), liquid fuel integrated with the molten salt coolant is used to improve the safety, resulting in the prevention of the loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) that can occur in a pressurized water reactor (PWR). Because the structural materials used in MSRs are directly contacted with liquid fuel for a long time, they must have excellent corrosion resistance to the molten salt. Therefore, to examine the corrosion rates for Ni-based alloys in the molten salt, the corrosion experiments for alloy 600, alloy 617, and Hastelloy N were performed under LiCl molten salt at 635°C for 100 h in a glove box under Ar environment. Through a weight loss method for the three Nibased coupons before and after the corrosion tests, we evaluated their corrosion rates. Based on the results of weight loss for each alloy, we confirmed that Hastelloy N has the excellent corrosion resistance compared to the other alloys. Furthermore, the changes in the crystal structure and surface morphology with elemental distribution for the three alloys by corrosion in LiCl molten salt were analyzed, showing the variation in surface topography and the decrease in Cr element after corrosion experiments for all coupons.

A molten salt reactor (MSR) is a conceptual nuclear reactor that uses molten salt with liquid fuel as its primary coolant. Based on the thermophysical and neutronic properties, MSR has advantages such as high efficiency, safety, combustion of transuranic (TRU) elements, and availability of miniaturization and on-power refueling. Various research on MSR such as system development, neutronic analysis, material development, and molten salt property analysis has been conducted, but the biggest problem is the molten salt corrosion. The molten salt corrosion on structural materials can be explained by two processes; electrochemical and chemical reactions. The reduction of oxidative ions such as fuel and TRU elements is one of the major causes of molten salt corrosion. Contamination by humidity and oxygen is also known as the accelerating factor of molten salt corrosion. Also, molten salt corrosion behaviors on structural material deteriorate when dissimilar alloys are introduced in the molten salt system. Various techniques to mitigate molten salt corrosion in fluoride system has been developed, but these are not well-verified in chloride system. In this research, various methodologies to mitigate molten salt corrosion are studied. The corrosion behaviors of 80Ni-20Cr alloy in molten eutectic NaCl-MgCl2 salt at 973 K are analyzed with various applications such as salt purification, sacrificial metal injection, and salt redox potential control. Oxygen and water impurities that can accelerate molten salt corrosion have been removed by electrochemical and chemical methods; Applying the reduction potential for H+/H2 and oxidation potential for O2-/O2, introducing HCl and CCl4 gas, and introducing the metallic Cr and recovering the ionized Cr. Corrosion acceleration/deceleration effects were analyzed when introducing the reducing reagent such as Mg and Nb or oxidizing reagent such as metallic Mo and the effect of inert metallic element (W) was also investigated. The salt potential was controlled by applying the potential to the salt and adjusting the Eu3+/Eu2+ ratio.

To investigate the effect of the catalyst and metal–support interaction on the methane decomposition behavior and physical properties of the produced carbon, catalytic decomposition of methane (CDM) was studied using Ni/SiO2 catalysts with different metal–support interactions (synthesized based on the presence or absence of urea). During catalyst synthesis, the addition of urea led to uniform and stable precipitation of the Ni metal precursor on the SiO2 support to produce Ni-phyllosilicates that enhanced the metal–support interaction. The resulting catalyst upon reduction showed the formation of uniform Ni0 particles (< 10 nm) that were smaller than those of a catalyst prepared using a conventional impregnation method (~ 80 nm). The growth mechanisms of methane-decomposition-derived carbon nanotubes was base growth or tip growth according to the metal–support interaction of the catalysts synthesized with and without urea, respectively. As a result, the catalyst with Ni-phyllosilicates resulting from the addition of urea induced highly dispersed and strongly interacting Ni0 active sites and produced carbon nanotubes with a small and uniform diameter via the base-growth mechanism. Considering the results, such a Ni-phyllosilicate-based catalyst are expected to be suitable for industrial base grown carbon nanotube production and application since as-synthesized carbon nanotubes can be easily harvested and the catalyst can be regenerated without being consumed during carbon nanotube extraction process.