• Advances in materials Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.17-28
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• 2018

Niobium is a candidate base for new alloys devoted to applications at especially elevated temperatures. Elaborating and shaping niobium-based alloys by conventional foundry may lead to mechanically interesting microstructures. In this work a series of charges constituted of pure elements were subjected to high frequency induction melting in cold crucible to try obtaining cast highly refractory Nb-xCr and Nb-xCr-0.4 wt.%Calloys(x=27, 34 and 37 wt.%). Melting and solidification were successfully achieved. The as-cast microstructures of the obtained alloys were characterized by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction and their hardness were specified by Vickers macro-indentation. The obtained as-cast microstructures are composed of a body centered cubic (bcc) niobium dendritic matrix and of an interdendritic eutectic compound involving the bcc Nb phase and a $NbCr_2$ Laves phase. The obtained alloys are hard to cut and particularly brittle at room temperature. Hardness is of a high level (higher than 600Hv) and is directly driven by the chromium content or the amount of {bcc Nb - $NbCr_2$} eutectic compound. Adding 0.4 wt.% of carbon did not lead to carbides but tends to increase hardness.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.173-177
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• 2011

Decomposition promoting factors and decomposition mechanism in the zinc decomposition process of waste hard metals which are composed mostly of tungsten carbide and cobalt were evaluated. Zinc volatility amount was suppressed and zinc valatilization pressure was produced in the reaction graphite crucible inside an electric furnace for ZDP. Reaction was done for 2 h at $650^{\circ}C$, which 100 % decomposed the waste hard metals that were over 30 mm thick. As for the separation-decomposition of waste hard metals, zinc melted alloy formed a liquid composed of a mixture of ${\gamma}-{\beta}1$ phase from the cobalt binder layer (reaction interface). The volume of reacted zone was expanded and the waste hard metal layer was decomposed-separated horizontally from the hard metal. Zinc used in the ZDP process was almost completely removed-collected by decantation and volatilization-collection process at $1000^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to process bio-active glass ceramic composite, reinforced with sapphire fibers, by hot press. Also to study the interface of the matrix and the sapphire fiber, and the mechanical properties. Glass raw materials melted in Pt crucible at 1300$^{\circ}C$ during 3.5 hours. The melt was crushed in ball mill and then crushed material, ground and sieved to $<40{\beta}{\mu}m$. Sapphire fibers cut (30mm) and aligned. Powder and fibers hot pressed. The micrographs show good bonding between the matrix and the fiber and no porosity in the glass matrix. This means ideal fracture phenomena. Glass is fractured before the fiber. This is indication of good fracture strength. EDXS showing aluminum rich phase and crystalline phase. Bright field image of the matrix showing crystalline phase. Also diffraction pattern of TEM showing the crystalline phase and more than one phase. Strength of the samples was determined by 3 point bend testing. Strength of the 10vol% sample was approximately 69MPa, while strength of the control sample is 35MPa. Conclusions through this study as follow: 1. Micrographs show no porosity in the glass matrix and the interface. 2. The interface between the fiber and the glass matrix show no gaps. 3. Fracture of the glass indicates characteristic fiber-matrix separation. 4. Presence of crystalline phase at high processing temperature. 5. Sapphire is compatible with bioactive glass.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1997.11a
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• pp.357-360
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• 1997

Currently, there is a need for the development of an advanced new technology for Low-and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste (LILW) treatment from nuclear power plants. The vitrification and melting technology by the use of the electrical equipments such as induction heater and plasma torch based furnace, along with off-gas treatment are considered as the most promising one of the LILW treatment technology since they can produce a very stable waste forms as well as considerably large volume reduction, which is a world-wide trend to apply for radioactive waste treatment. Korea Electric Power Research Institute(KEPRI) has already completed a feasibility study on LILW treatment and conceptual system design of a demonstration plant to be constructed. For this research, KEPRI selected a cold crucible melter(CCM) for the vitrification of combustible waste, and plasma torch based furnace(PT) for the melting of noncombustible waste, along with off-gas treatment for the volatile radioisotopes such as cesium.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.175-180
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• 2004

In order to vitrify the combustible dry active waste (DAW) generated from Korean Nuclear Power Plants, a glass formulation development based on waste composition was performed. A borosilicate glass, DG-2, was formulated to vitrify the DAW in an induction cold crucible melter (CCM). The processability, product performance, and volume reduction effect of the candidate glass were evaluated using a computer code and were measured experimentally in the laboratory and CCM. The glass viscosity and electrical conductivity as the process parameters were in the desired ranges. Start-up and maintaining glass melt of the candidate glass were favorable in the CCM. The product of the glass product such as chemical durability, phase stability, and density was satisfactory. The vitrification process using the candidate glass was also evaluated assuming that it was operated as economically as possible.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.254-257
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• 2008

For crystalline slags, of which the viscosity rapidly increases at $T_{cv}$ due to the formation of crystalline phases, the Tcv is affected by measurement conditions. In this study, we investigated the effect of cooling rate, and alumina dissolution on the determination of $T_{cv}$. Using synthetic slag samples based on the composition of Alaska Usibelli slag, $T_{cv}$ were determined under a constant cooling rate of $2^{\circ}C$/min, and under rapid cooling with holding time to allow the slag to reach thermal and rheological equilibrium. The effect of alumina dissolution was investigated using platinum lined crucibles. The constant cooling resulted in lower $T_{cv}$ by $33^{\circ}C$ as compared to the equilibrium measurements. Under $2^{\circ}C$/min cooling, the blocking alumina dissolution resulted in lower $T_{cv}$ by $23^{\circ}C$. When the $T_{cv}$ was measured under $2^{\circ}C$/min cooling using an alumina crucible, therefore, the effects of a constant cooling is somewhat offset by the alumina dissolution effect, and bring the measured value closer to the true value.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.337-346
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• 2020

Two commonly used ceramics in molten salt research are alumina and mullite. The two ceramics were exposed to a combination of rare earth chlorides (YCl₃, SmCl₃, NdCl₃, PrCl₃, and CeCl₃; each rare earth chloride of 1.8 weight percent) in LiCl-KCl at 773 K for approximately 13 days. Scanning electron microscopy with wave dispersion spectra was utilized to investigate a formation layer or deposition of rare earths onto the ceramic. Only the major constituents of the ceramics (Al, Si, and O₂) were observed during the wave dispersion spectra. X-ray fluorescence was used as well to determine concentration changes in the molten salt as a function of ceramic exposure time. This study shows no evidence of ionic exchange or layer formation between the ceramics and molten chloride salt mixture. There are signs of surface tension effects of molten salt moving out of the tantalum crucible into secondary containment.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.147-152
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• 2016

Aluminum has been used as an alternative material for copper, due to its good electrical and thermal conductivities. However, small quantities of transition elements such as Ti and V affect the conductivities of aluminum. Therefore, in this study, the influence of B addition to reduce the effects of Ti and V on the conductivities of aluminum was investigated. Both the electrical and thermal conductivities of aluminum were improved with addition of B up to 0.05 wt%, while the conductivities were gradually reduced with an excess amount of B. SEM-EDS and XRD results exhibited that B reacted with Ti and V element to form diborides, such as $TiB_2$ and $VB_2$ phase, and those diborides tended to settle down to the bottom of the crucible because their densities were higher than that of aluminum melt. As a result, B reduced the deleterious effects of Ti and V, and the electrical and thermal conductivities of aluminum were improved.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.652-657
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• 2001

Vanadate glasses containing 10~20mol% glass former, P$_2$O$_{5}$ were prepared by melting the batch in platinum crucible and quenching on the copper plate. Li$_2$O-P$_2$O$_{5}$-V$_2$O$_{5}$ glass-ceramics having LiV$_3$O$_{8}$ were obtained by heat-treatment of this glass in crystallization temperature. The glass-ceramics showed singnificantly good capacity and long cycles life according to heating condition. In this paper, we described electrochemical properties during crystallization process and found the best crystallizaton condition of Li$_2$O-P$_2$O$_{5}$-V$_2$O$_{5}$ glass as cathode material. Li$_2$O-P$_2$O$_{5}$-V$_2$O$_{5}$ glass-ceramics heat-treated at 233$^{\circ}C$ for 3 hors showed good rechargeable capacity of 220mAh/g in the cycling range between 2.0 and 3.9V.en 2.0 and 3.9V.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.1096-1108
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• 2016

Metal fuel is being developed for the prototype generation-IV sodium-cooled fast reactor (PGSFR) to be built by 2028. U-Zr fuel is a driver for the initial core of the PGSFR, and U-transuranics (TRU)-Zr fuel will gradually replace U-Zr fuel through its qualification in the PGSFR. Based on the vast worldwide experiences of U-Zr fuel, work on U-Zr fuel is focused on fuel design, fabrication of fuel components, and fuel verification tests. U-TRU-Zr fuel uses TRU recovered through pyroelectrochemical processing of spent PWR (pressurized water reactor) fuels, which contains highly radioactive minor actinides and chemically active lanthanide or rare earth elements as carryover impurities. An advanced fuel slug casting system, which can prevent vaporization of volatile elements through a control of the atmospheric pressure of the casting chamber and also deal with chemically active lanthanide elements using protective coatings in the casting crucible, was developed. Fuel cladding of the ferritic-martensitic steel FC92, which has higher mechanical strength at a high temperature than conventional HT9 cladding, was developed and fabricated, and is being irradiated in the fast reactor.