• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
• /
• 2018.06a
• /
• pp.53-53
• /
• 2018

Thermoelectric materials can convert directly waste heat to electricity and vice versa. The improvement of the thermoelectric efficiency strongly depends on the dimensionless figure of merit, $ZT=S^2{\sigma}T/{\kappa}$, where S is the Seebeck coefficient, ${\sigma}$ is the electrical conductivity, T is the absolute temperature, and ${\kappa}$ is the thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity consists of the electronic contribution (${\kappa}_e$) and phonon contribution (${\kappa}_{ph}$). It is very challenge to increase the power factor, $S^2{\sigma}$ and to reduce the thermal conductivity simultaneously because the power factor and electronic thermal conductivity are coupled. One strategy is to decrease the phonon thermal conductivity. The phonon thermal conductivity can be decreased by controlling the grain size and structural defects such as dislocations and twinning. In order to achieve enhancements in thermoelectric efficiency, microstructures that can form numerous interfaces have been investigated intensively for controlling the transport of charge carriers and heat carrying phonons. In this presentation, we report the heterogeneous microstructure of $Mg_2Si_{0.6}Sn_{0.4}$ thermoelectric materials and investigation of its influence on thermoelectric properties.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.15 no.7
• /
• pp.633-639
• /
• 2007

A variety of NMR techniques were applied to the micro-chemical structural characterization of polyanilines prepared via an efficient synthetic method in a self-stabilized dispersion medium in which the polymerization was conducted in a heterogeneous organic/aqueous biphasic system without any stabilizers. Here, the monomer and growing polymer chain were shown to function simultaneously as a stabilizer, imparting compatibility for the dispersion of the organic phase, and as a form of flexible template in an aqueous reaction medium. Polymerizations predicated on this concept generated polyanilines with a low defect content: solution state $^{13}C-NMR$ and solid $^{13}CDD/CP/MAS$ spectroscopy indicated that the synthesized HCPANi and its soluble derivative, HCPANi-t-BOC, evidenced distinctly different NMR spectra with fewer side peaks, as compared to conventionally prepared PANis, and the complete structural assignments of the observed NMR peaks could be determined via the combination of both 1D and 2D techniques. Ortho-linked defects in HCPANi were estimated to be as low as 7%, as shown by a comparison of the integration of the carbonyl carbon resonance peaks.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.48-54
• /
• 2000

The corrosion properties of Ni-Cr-W-Mo-B alloy sprayed by the high velocity oxy-fuel spraying (HVOF) was studied as a function of heat treatment by using both potentiodynamic polarization and immersion tests in the H₂SO₄ solution. The mechanical property was also evaluated by a microhardness tester. Microstructural characteristics of te as-sprayed and annealed coatings at 550, 750 and 950℃ have been analyzed by means of OM, XRD, SEM and TEM. The results showed that the corrosion resistance was improved by increasing the annealing temperature. As-sprayed coating had metastable and heterogeneous phases such as amorphous, nanocrystalline and very refined grain and precipitates, which induced a localized corrosion. The localized corrosion occurred preferentially at the unmelted particles which were composed of Ni matrix and Cr, W and Mo riched phase segregated in the boundaries. As annealing temperature was increased, the microstructure had shown some changes - reduction of porosity and s[plat boundary decomposition and crystallization of amorphous/nanocrystalline phases, grain coarsening,, formation and growth of precipitates such as {TEX}$M_{23}C_{6}${/TEX} and {TEX}$M_{7}C_{3}${/TEX}. In addition, the compositional difference between matrix and boundary phases gradually disappeared, which changed the corrosion type from localized corrosion to general corrosion and thus enhanced corrosion resistance.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.299-306
• /
• 2014

ZnO pillared saponite was synthesized via a microwave hydrolysis method. To enhance interfacial compatibility between zinc oxide (ZnO) pillared saponite and poly lactic acid (PLA), ZnO pillared organic saponite was prepared by intercalation modification of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. Moreover, PLA/ZnO pillared organic saponite nanocomposites were prepared by melting processing. The microstructure analysis of PLA/ZnO pillared organic saponite nanocomposites showed that ZnO pillared organic saponite was exfoliated and homogeneouslydispersed in PLA matrix. The property results showed that ZnO pillared organic saponite improved the mechanical properties and thermal stabilities of PLA/ZnO pillared organic saponite nanocomposites. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) demonstrated that ZnO pillared organic saponite restrained the appearance of cold crystallization, lowered the glass transition temperature and melting temperature of PLA, and improved the crystallinity of PLA. The results demonstrated that ZnO pillared organic saponite had a good interfacial compatibility and heterogeneous nucleation effect in PLA matrix, and also played an active role in accelerating the crystallization process of PLA.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.181-185
• /
• 2022

In this study, phase-pure titanium dioxide TiO₂ ceramics are sintered using standard high-temperature solid-state reaction technique at different temperatures (1,000, 1,100, 1,200, 1,300, 1,400 ℃). The effect of sintering temperature on the densification and impedance properties of TiO₂ ceramics is investigated. The bulk density and average grain size increase with the increase of sintering temperature. Impedance spectroscopy analysis (complex impedance Z^* and complex modulus M^*), performed in a broad frequency range from 100 Hz to 10 MHz, indicates that the TiO₂ ceramics are dielectrically heterogeneous, consisting of grains and grain boundaries. The complex impedance Z^* -plane indicates the resistance of grains of the TiO₂ ceramics increases with increasing sintering temperature, while that of grain boundaries develops in the opposing direction. The complex modulus M^*-plane shows a grain capacitance that seems to be independent of the sintering temperature, while that of the grain boundaries decreases with increasing sintering temperature. These results suggest that different sintering temperatures have effects on the microstructure, leading to changes in the impedance properties of TiO₂ ceramics.

• Coupled systems mechanics
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.15-32
• /
• 2022

The comprehensive understanding of the fiber reinforced polymer behavior requires the use of advanced non-destructive testing methods due to its heterogeneous microstructure and anisotropic mechanical proprieties. In addition, the material response under load is strongly associated with manufacturing defects (e.g., voids, inclusions, fiber misalignment, debonds, improper cure and delamination). Such imperfections and microstructures induce various damage mechanisms arising at different scales before macrocracks are formed. The origin of damage phenomena can only be fully understood with the access to underlying microstructural features. This makes X-ray Computed Tomography an appropriate imaging tool to capture changes in the bulk of fibrous materials. Moreover, Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) can be used to measure kinematic fields induced by various loading histories. The correlation technique relies on image contrast induced by microstructures. Fibrous composites can be reinforced by different fiber architectures that may lead to poor natural contrast. Hence, a priori analyses need to be performed to assess the corresponding DVC measurement uncertainties. This study aimed to evaluate measurement resolutions of global and regularized DVC for glass fiber reinforced polymers with different fiber architectures. The measurement uncertainties were evaluated with respect to element size and regularization lengths. Even though FE-based DVC could not reach the recommended displacement uncertainty with low spatial resolution, regularized DVC enabled for the use of fine meshes when applying appropriate regularization.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.194-204
• /
• 2015

Six study sites in Gumi, Goryeong in Gyeongbuk province and Naju in Jeonnam province were selected to investigate soil properties of poorly drained horizons in paddy soils. The horizons were re-established layers which were parent material layers originated from fluvial deposits. Topsoil layers were differentiated from piled parent materials while soil structure of the topsoil layer was massive with striated microstructure. Compaction at soil re-establishment and a lack of structure and aggregate development in these soils may cause the limitation of vertical water movement and result in poorly drained horizons. Soil samples were taken from paddy fields with top soils of sandy loam, silt loam and silty clay loam and re-established soils of coarse and fine texture. The samples were taken from each horizon for the analyses of soil chemical and mineral properties. Soils with re-established soils of coarse texture had greater amounts of sands from top soil texture distributions, while soils with fine texture had greater amounts of silts. Chemical properties of top soils were analyzed from rice cultivated soils at the time of re-establishments and one year after the re-establishments. The coarse texture of the re-established horizons decreased in EC values from 0.23 to $0.11(dS\;m^{-1})$, available phosphate values from 112 to $54(mg\;kg^{-1})$, and exchangeable Ca values from 6.6 to $4.9(cmol_c\;kg^{-1})$. On the other hand, soils with fine texture showed decrease only in pH and exchangeable Ca values. Especially, organic matter and available phosphate contents showed heterogeneous distributions from each horizon. This result may be caused by mixture of plough layer and subsurface layer during and consolidation. Hydraulic conductivity values were low at the boundaries of top soil and parent material layers except SL/coarse soil. Soil microstructure was massive structure without soil clods or pores and showed striated structure. Therefore, re-established paddy fields with fluvial deposits as parent material layers showed limited vertical movements of soil water because of occurrence of compacted layers and less-development of soil clods and aggregates.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.31-37
• /
• 2002

As-cast microstructure of Mg-rich $Mg_{68}Zn_{28}Y_4$ has been investigated by a detailed transmission electron microscopy. The as-cast $Mg_{68}Zn_{28}Y_4$ alloy consisted of three different types of phases: $10{\sim}20{\mu}m$ size primary solidification phase, dendritic phase grown from the primary phase and a eutectic structure formed at the later stage of solidification. The primary solidification phase has an icosahedral structure with a large degree of phason strain. 1/1 rhombohedral approximant phase with lattice parameters: $a=27.2{\AA}\;and\;{\alpha}=63.43^{\circ}$ is first observed in Mg-Zn-Y system. The rhombohedral structure can be obtained by introducing phason strain in the six dimensional face centered hyper-cubic lattice. The decagonal phase nucleates with orientation relationship with the icosahedral phase, and $Mg_4Zn_7$ nucleates with orientation relationship with the decagonal phase, indicating a close structural similarity between the three phases. Gradual depletion of Y during solidification plays an important role in heterogeneous nucleation of decagonal and $Mg_4Zn_7$ phases from icosahedral and decagonal phases respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.43 no.12 s.295
• /
• pp.781-787
• /
• 2006

NiO-coated YSZ powder was prepared using heterogeneous precipitation of Ni hydroxides on YSZ particle surface and high energy milling. The powders were characterized by TG/DTA, XRD, XPS, and SEM. Amorphous Ni precipitate completely decomposed into NiO at $500^{\circ}C$ and the growth of NiO crystallites was constrained by the core particles. Nanocrystalline NiO-coated YSZ core-shell structure powder could be obtained after calcination at $800^{\circ}C$ for 2 h. A core-shell powder compact, due to high sinterability, showed a near theoretical density at $1350^{\circ}C$. After reduction at $900^{\circ}C$, interpenetrating Ni-YSZ microstructure with very uniformly distributed fine Ni and YSZ grains and pores was observed. In contrast, the mechanically mixed oxide sample showed less uniform distribution of pores and larger discontinuous We particles as compared with the core-shell samples.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.149-154
• /
• 2010

Interfacial evaluation was investigated for single-carbon fiber/phenolic and carbon nanotube (CNT)-phenolic composites by micromechanical technique and electrical resistance measurement combined with wettability test. Compressive strength of pure phenol and CNT-phenolic composites were compared using Broutman specimen. The contact resistance of CNT-phenolic composites was obtained using a gradient specimen by two and four-point methods. Surface energies and wettability by dynamic contact angle measurement were measured using Wilhelmy plate technique. Since hydrophobic domains are formed as heterogeneous microstructure of CNT in the surface, the dynamic contact angle exhibited more than $90^{\circ}$. CNT-phenolic composites exhibited a higher apparent modulus than neat phenolic case due to better stress transferring effect. Work of adhesion, $W_a$ between single-carbon fiber and CNT-phenolic composites exhibited higher than neat phenolic resin due to the enhanced viscosity by CNT addition. It was consistent with micro-failure patterns in microdroplet test.