• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.226-230
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• 2013

We performed high pressure high temperature (HPHT) sintering for the 20 nm MgO powders at the temperatures from $600^{\circ}C$ to $1200^{\circ}C$ for only 5 min under 7 GPa pressure condition. To investigate the microstructure evolution and physical property change of the HPHT sintered MgO samples, we employed a scanning electron microscopy (SEM), density and Vickers hardness measurements. The SEM results showed that the grain size of the sintered MgO increased from 200 nm to $1.9{\mu}m$ as the sintering temperature increased. The density results showed that the sintered MgO achieved a more than 95% of the theoretical density in overall sintering temperature range. Based on Vickers hardness test, we confirmed that hardness increased as temperature increased. Our results implied that we might obtain the dense sintered MgO samples with an extremely short time and low temperature HPHT process compared to conventional electrical furnace sintering process.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.608-613
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• 2012

We investigated the property changes of MgO powders sintered at temperatures ranging from $700^{\circ}C$ to $1900^{\circ}C$ for 5minutes at a pressure of 2.7 GPa for a high-pressure high-temperature(HPHT) diamond synthesis process. The physical properties of the sintered MgO powders were characterized by optical microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Vickers hardness tests, and by the apparent density, and X-ray diffractometry. An optical micro-analysis showed that white MgO powders became black after sintering due to carbon contamination from the graphite heat source. FE-SEM revealed the growth in the grain size of the MgO powders from $0.3{\mu}m$ to $50{\mu}m$ after sintering at $1700^{\circ}C$. The hardness and apparent density increased to $1800^{\circ}C$ while the samples were dedensified at $1900^{\circ}C$ due to the growth of isolated pores. According to the XRD analysis, no phase transformation occurred in the MgO powders. These results suggest that HPHT-sintered MgO powders can show an accelerated sintering process characterized by grain neck growth, pore connections, isolated pore growth and dedensification in 5 minutes, while these processes with the conventional sintering process take at least 5 hours.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.416-423
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• 2009

Diamond/SiC composites are appropriate candidate materials for heat conduction as well as high temperature abrasive materials because they do not form liquid phase at high temperature. Diamond/SiC composite consists of diamond particles embedded in a SiC binding matrix. SiC is a hard material with strong covalent bonds having similar structure and thermal expansion with diamond. Interfacial reaction plays an important role in diamond/SiC composites. Diamond/SiC composites were fabricated by high temperature and high pressure (HPHT) sintering with different diamond content, single diamond particle size and bi-modal diamond particle size, and also the effects of composition of diamond and silicon on microstructure, mechanical properties and thermal properties of diamond/SiC composite were investigated. The critical factors influencing the dynamics of reaction between diamond and silicon, such as graphitization process and phase composition, were characterized. Key factor to enhance mechanical and thermal properties of diamond/SiC composites is to keep strong interfacial bonding at diamond/SiC composites and homogeneous dispersion of diamond particles in SiC matrix.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.111-115
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• 2015

This study investigates the microstructure and thermal shock properties of polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) produced by the high-temperature, high-pressure (HPHT) process. The diamond used for the investigation features a $12{\sim}22{\mu}m$- and $8{\sim}16{\mu}m$-sized main particles, and $1{\sim}2{\mu}m$-sized filler particles. The filler particle ratio is adjusted up to 5~31% to produce a mixed particle, and then the tap density is measured. The measurement finds that as the filler particle ratio increases, the tap density value continuously increases, but at 23% or greater, it reduces by a small margin. The mixed particle described above undergoes an HPHT sintering process. Observation of PDC microstructures reveals that the filler particle ratio with high tap density value increases direct bonding among diamond particles, Co distribution becomes even, and the Co and W fraction also decreases. The produced PDC undergoes thermal shock tests with two temperature conditions of 820 and 830, and the results reveals that PDC with smaller filler particle ratio and low tap density value easily produces cracks, while PDC with high tap density value that contributes in increased direct bonding along with the higher diamond content results in improved thermal shock properties.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.203-207
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• 2015

This study investigated the microstructure and wear resistance property of HPHT(high pressure high temperature) sintered PDC(polycrystalline diamond compact) in accordance with initial molding pressure. After quantifying an identical amount of diamond powder, the powder was inserted in top of WC-Co sintered material, and molded under four different pressure conditions (50, 100, 150, $200kgf/cm^2$). The obtained diamond compact underwent sintering in high pressure, high temperature conditions. In the case of the $50kgf/cm^2$ initial molding pressure condition, cracks were formed on the surface of PDC. On the other hand, PDCs obtained from $100{\sim}200kgf/cm^2$ initial molding pressure conditions showed a meticulous structure. As molding pressure increased, low Co composition within PDC was detected. A wear resistance test was performed on the PDC, and the $200kgf/cm^2$ condition PDC showed the highest wear resistance property.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.364-371
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• 2016

This study investigates the thermal shock property of a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) produced by a high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) sintering process. Three kinds of PDCs are manufactured by the HPHT sintering process using different particle sizes of the initial diamond powders: $8-16{\mu}m$ ($D50=4.3{\mu}m$), $10-20{\mu}m$ ($D50=6.92{\mu}m$), and $12-22{\mu}m$ ($D50=8.94{\mu}m$). The microstructure observation results for the manufactured PDCs reveal that elemental Co and W are present along the interface of the diamond particles. The fractions of Co and WC in the PDC increase as the initial particle size decreases. The manufactured PDCs are subjected to thermal shock tests at two temperatures of $780^{\circ}C$ and $830^{\circ}C$. The results reveal that the PDC with a smaller particle size of diamond easily produces microscale thermal cracks. This is mainly because of the abundant presence of Co and WC phases along the diamond interface and the easy formation of Co-based (CoO, $Co_3O_4$) and W-based ($WO_2$) oxides in the PDC using smaller diamond particles. The microstructural factors for controlling the thermal shock property of PDC material are also discussed.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.4185-4190
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• 2013

We executed the property changes of the sintered MgO (99.9% purity, 300nm size) specimens with addition to CaO content of 0.00wt%, 0.25wt%, and 0.50wt%, processed at 7GPa, for 5min, 600~$800^{\circ}C$. To investigate the micro-structure and physical property changes of the sintered MgO(-CaO), we employed a scanning electron microscopy(SEM), X-ray diffractomerty(XRD), Vickers hardness, and density. The SEM result showed that MgO powder of 300nm size was changed into sintered structure of 520nm by high pressure and low temperature sintering, regardless of the CaO contents. According to the XRD analysis, no CaO phase observed, while MgO peaks shift indicated the existence of CaO in the MgO matrix. The Vickers hardness result showed that hardness of sintered MgO-CaO increased by 12% compared pure MgO under the same temperature conditions. It implied that we can obtain the same hardness with $100^{\circ}C$ lowered sintering temperatures by addition of CaO. The density results showed that it was possible to obtain density of 98%, which is 5% greater than that of pure MgO at low temperature of $600^{\circ}C$.