• Applied Microscopy
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.170-176
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• 2015

In this work, various electron microscopy and analysis techniques were used to investigate the microstructural evolution of a 9% Cr tempered martensite ferritic (TMF) steel T91 upon ultrasonic nanocrystalline surface modification (UNSM) treatment. The micro-dimpled surface was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The characteristics of plastic deformation and gradient microstructure of the UNSM treated specimens were clearly revealed by crystal orientation mapping of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), with flexible use of the inverse pole figure, image quality, and grain boundary misorientation images. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation of the specimens at different depths showed the formation of dislocations, dense dislocation walls, subgrains, and grains in the lower, middle, upper, and top layers of the treated specimens. Refinement of the $M_{23}C_6$ precipitates was also observed, the size and the number density of which were found to decrease as depth from the top surface decreased. The complex microstructure and microstructural evolution of the TMF steel samples upon the UNSM treatment were well-characterized by combined use of EBSD and TEM techniques.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.403-408
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• 2012

A sample of ultra low carbon IF steel was processed by six-layer stack accumulative roll-bonding (ARB) and annealed. The ARB was conducted at ambient temperature after deforming the as-received material to a thickness of 0.5 mm by 50% cold rolling. The ARB was performed for a six-layer stacked, i.e. a 3 mm thick sheet, up to 3 cycles (an equivalent strain of ~7.0). In each ARB cycle, the stacked sheets were, first, deformed to 1.5 mm thickness by 50% rolling and then reduced to 0.5 mm thickness, as the starting thickness, by multi-pass rolling without lubrication. The specimen after 3 cycles was then annealed for 0.5 h at various temperatures ranging from 673 to 973 K. The microstructural evolution with the annealing temperature for the 3-cycle ARB processed IF steel was investigated in detail by transmission electron microscopy observation. The ARB processed IF steel exhibited mainly a dislocation cell lamella structure with relatively high dislocation density in which the subgrains were partially observed. The selected area diffraction (SAD) patterns suggested that the misorientation between neighboring cells or subgrains was very small. The thickness of the grains increased in a gradual way up to 873 K, but above 898 K it increased drastically. As a result, the grains came to have an equiaxed morphology at 898 K, in which the width and the thickness of the grains were almost identical. The grain growth occurred actively at temperatures above 923 K.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.118-127
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• 2020

Microstructural evolution during a heat treatment and high-temperature tensile properties have been investigated in conventionally cast CM247LC. In as-cast specimens, MC carbides with high amounts of Ta, Ti, Hf, and W were found to exist in the interdendritic regions, and γ' was observed in the form of cubes and octocubes prior to decomposition into cubes. In the heat-treated condition, some portion of eutectic γ-γ' remained, and uniform cubic γ' was observed in both interdendritic regions and dendrite core. Three types of carbides with different stoichiometries and compositions were found at the grain boundaries. MC carbides with high Hf contents were observed in the vicinity of eutectic γ-γ'. The highest tensile strength value was found at 750℃, whereas the greatest ductility appeared at 649℃. The effect of the temperature on the tensile properties was closely related to the dislocation structure. With increase in the test temperature, the density of dislocations inside γ' decreased, whereas that in the γ matrix increased. Stacking faults generated in γ' at 750℃ had a strengthening effect, whereas thermally activated dislocation motion at a high temperature was considered to have the opposite effect.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.11
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• pp.4066-4076
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• 2023

Pressure resistance welding is usually used to seal the connection between the cladding tube and the end plug made of zirconium alloy. The seal welded joint has a direct effect on the service performance of the fuel rod cladding structure. In this paper, the pressure resistance welded joints of zirconium alloy tube-plug structure were obtained by thermal-mechanical simulation experiments. The microstructure and microhardness of the joints were both analyzed. The effect of processing parameters on the microstructure was studied in detail. The results showed that there was no β-Zr phase observed in the joint, and no obvious element segregation. There were different types of Widmanstätten structure in the thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) and heat affected zone (HAZ) of the cladding tube and the end plug joint because of the low cooling rate. Some part of the grains in the joint grew up due to overheating. Its size was about 2.8 times that of the base metal grains. Due to the high dislocation density and texture evolution, the microhardnesses of TMAZ and HAZ were both significantly higher than that of the base metal, and the microhardness of the TMAZ was the highest. With the increasing of welding temperature, the proportion of recrystallization in TMAZ decreased, which was caused by the increasing of strain rate and dislocation annihilation.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.477-481
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• 2010

Cu-Sn based alloys were manufactured by gas atomization spray casting route in order to achieve a fine scale microstructure and a high tensile strength. The spray cast Cu-10Sn-2Ni-0.2Si alloy had an equiaxed grain microstructure, with no formation of brittle ${\delta}-Cu_{41}Sn_{11}$ phase. Aging treatment promoted the precipitation of finely distributed particles corresponding to ${\delta}-Ni_2Si$ intermetallic phase throughout the $\alpha$-(CuSn) matrix. The cold-rolled Cu-Sn-Ni-Si alloy had a very high tensile strength of 1200 MPa and an elongation of 5%. Subsequent aging treatment at $450^{\circ}C$ for 1h slightly reduced the tensile strength to 700 MPa and remarkably increased the elongation up to 30%. This result has been explained by coarsening the precipitates due to over aging and reducing the dislocation density due to annealing effects.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 2021

In the periodic surveillance material test for the spacer component of fuel channel assembly in CANDU, a microstructural characterization analysis is required in addition to the mechanical property evaluation test. In this study, detailed microstructure analysis and simple mechanical property evaluation of archive spacer parts were conducted to indirectly support the surveillance test and assist in the study of spacer material degradation. We investigated the microstructural characteristics of the spacer garter spring coil through comparative analysis with the plate material. The main microstructure characteristics of the garter spring coil X-750 are represented by the fine grain size distribution, the ordering phase distribution developed inside the matrix, the high dislocation density inside the grains, and the arrangement of coarse carbides. In addition, the yield strength of the garter spring coil X-750 was indirectly evaluated to be approximately 1 GPa. We also established an analytical method to elucidate the microstructural evolution of the radioactive spacer garter spring coil X-750 based on Canadian research experiences. Finally, we confirmed the measurement technique for helium bubble formation through TEM examination on the helium implanted X-750 material.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.348-353
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• 2024

The S355NL steel has garnered attention as a structural material for applications in extremely challenging environments owing to its excellent mechanical properties. This study investigated the hot deformation behavior of S355NL steel through compression tests conducted in a temperature range of 900-1200℃ and a strain rate range of 10^-3-1 s^-1 to explore the optimal processing parameters. The flow behaviors consisted of an initial rapid increase and subsequent plateau with a marginal decrease in stress. This phenomenon was interpreted in terms of microstructural evolution, such as dislocation density and dynamic recrystallization. The efficiency of power dissipation and instability domains were derived using the dynamic material model based on the compression test dataset, providing a series of processing maps. In contrast to conventional processing maps plotted for a single strain value, this study has established ten maps at a strain interval of 0.1. This approach allowed for the consideration of continuously variable strain parameters, which is inherent to an actual metal-forming process. The efficiency of power dissipation was strongly governed by the high temperatures (≥ 1100℃). The strain rates barely affected the efficiency, but it primarily contributed to the instability domains. The application of high strain rates (≥ 10^-1s^-1) generated a region of negative instability due to the absence of dynamic recrystallization and the presence of cracks at grain boundaries.