• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.128-132
• /
• 2007

[ $B_4C$ ] ceramics were fabricated by spark plasma sintering process and their sintering behavior, microstructure and mechanical properties were evaluated. Relative density of $B_4C$ ceramics were obtained by spark plasma sintering method reached as high as 99% at lower temperature than conventional sintering method, in addition, without any sintering additives. The mechanical properties of $B_4C$ ceramics was improved by a methanol washing process which can be removed $B_2O_3$ phase from a $B_4C$ powder surface. This improvement results ken the formation of homogeneous microstructure because the grain coarsening was suppressed by the elimination of $B_2O_3$ phase. Particularly, fracture toughness of the sintered specimen using a methanol washed powder improved over 30% compared with the specimen using an as-received commercial powder.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
• /
• 2018.11a
• /
• pp.114-115
• /
• 2018

To develop an effective shielding material for spent fuel that emits fast neutrons is necessary. In this study, thermal neutron and fast neutron shielding performance of polyethylene coated boron carbide-incorporated cement paste was quantitatively analyzed by Monte Carlo N-Particle transport code (MCNP) simulations. As the results of the simulations, fast neutrons were effectively shielded through large quantity of hydrogen and boron elements in polyethylene and boron carbide.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2002.05a
• /
• pp.112-112
• /
• 2002

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.6-12
• /
• 2015

Under rate-controlled sintering, furnace power is controlled to maintain a specific specimen contraction rate. This thermal processing method guarantees continuous process with a minimum thermal energy applied over time and makes it possible to control the density of the sintered body precisely. In this study, the rate-controlled sintering is applied to the sintering of $B_4C$ in order to investigate how rate-controlled sintering variables can affect the sintering behavior and/or grain growth behavior of $B_4C$ and how the results can be interpreted using sintering theories to draw an optimal sintering condition of the rate-controlled sintering. Further, the applicability of the rate-controlled sintering into the study for sintering of unknown materials is also considered.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.197-204
• /
• 2016

Concrete walls of neutron generating facilities such as fusion reactors and fission reactors become radioactive by neutron irradiation. Both low-activation and neutron shielding are a critical concern at the dismantling stage after the shutdown of facilities with a requirement of radioactive waste management. To tackle this, two types of additives were investigated in fabricating mortar specimens: synthetic high polymers and boron carbide. It is well known that a hydrogen atom is effective in neutron shielding by an elastic scattering because its mass is almost the same as that of the neutron. And boron is an effective neutron absorber with a big neutron absorption cross section. In this study, the effect of the type, shape, and size of polymers were investigated as well as that of boron carbide. Total 16 mix designs were prepared to reveal the effect of polymers on mechanical properties and neutron shielding performance. The neutron does equivalent of polymers-based mortar for fast neutrons decreased by 36 %, and the count rate of boron carbide-based mortar with regard to thermal neutrons decreased by 90 % compared to conventional mortar. These results showed that a combination of polymers and boron carbide compounds has potential to reduce the thickness of neutron shields as well as radioactive waste from reactors.

• Proceedings of the Korean Ceranic Society Conference
• /
• 2000.10a
• /
• pp.38.1-38
• /
• 2000

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 1999.11a
• /
• pp.136-136
• /
• 1999

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2005.06a
• /
• pp.299-302
• /
• 2005

Direct Borohydride Fuel Cell은 알칼리 붕소 수소화물의 수용액을 이용하는 연료전지로 연료의 직접 산화반응을 통해 기존의 DMFC(직접 메탄을 연료전지)보다 높은 전류밀도와 OUV(Open Circuit Voltage)를 나타낸다. 또한 액체 연료를 사용하므로 장치 구성이 간단하며, 사용하는 연료가 반응성이 높은 알칼리 붕소 수소화물로 이루어져 있기 때문에 탄화수소 계열의 액체 연료와 달리 전기화학 반응이 비귀금속 전극에서도 쉽게 이루어질 수 있다는 장점을 가지고 있다 하지만 강알칼리 조건에서 전기화학 반응이 진행되므로 이에 적합한 재료로 장치를 구성해야 하며, 액체 상태의 연료가 전해질을 투과하는 현상인 크로스오버 문제를 해결해야 하고, 생성물인 $BO_2$-가 침적되어 전지효율을 떨어뜨리는 것을 방지해야 하는 문제점이 있다. 또한 알칼리 붕소 수소화물이 물과 반응하여 수소를 발생시키는 hydrolysis 반응을 억제하여야 하고 직접 산화반응만이 진행될 수 있도록 전지를 구성해야 연료효율을 높일 수 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 수소 생성반응일 hydrolysis 반응은 억제하고 연료의 직접 산화반응만을 진행시키기 위한 전극촉매에 대하여 연구하였다. 일반적인 저온형 연료전지의 전극촉매로 사용하는 Pt등의 귀금속 촉매와, 귀금속 촉매를 대체할 수 있는 Ni등의 비귀금속 촉매를 그 연구 대상으로 하였으며, 평가 방법으로는 unit cell station을 이용한 단위전지 성능측정 실험과 Potentiostat/Galvanostat을 이용한 half cell 실험을 병행하여 수행하였다.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.104-111
• /
• 2001

B-doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) thin films were prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition in a gas mixture of $SiH_4, CH_4,\;and\; B_2H_6$. Physical and chemical properties of a-SiC:H films grown with varing the ratio of $B_2H_6/(SiH_4+CH_4)$ were characterized with various analysis methods including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), UV absorption CH_4spectroscopy and electrical conductivity measurements. With the B-doping concentration, the doping efficiency and the micro-crystallinity were decreased and the film became amorphous when $B_2H_6/(SiH_4{plus}CH_4)$ was over $5{\times}10^{-3}$. The addition of $B_2H_6$ gas during deposition decreased the H content in the film by lowering the quantity of Si-C-H bonds. Consequently, the optical band gap and the activation energy of a-SiC:H films were decreased with increasing the B-doping level.

• Fire Science and Engineering
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.19-26
• /
• 2018

Experiments on the combustion characteristics of untreated wood specimens and also treated ones with boric acid and ammonium pentaborate were carried out using a cone calorimeter according to ISO 5660-1 standard. As a result, comparing to untreated specimen, the fire performance index (FPI) of the specimens treated with boron compounds increased by 1.2 to 2.1 times and the fire growth index (FGI) increased by 1.6 to 8.4%. Also, total smoke release rate (TSR) was 9.0 to 28.3% lower than that of the untreated specimen. It is understood that the test specimens treated with the boron compound produces a carbonized layer with a flame retarding effect. The highest CO concentration, 0.01112%, for the untreated specimen was observed at 418 s, but the specimens treated with boron compound decreased 13.2 to 37.5% compared to untreated specimen. Therefore, wood treated with boron compounds is expected to have lower fire hazards and risks.