• Resources Recycling
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.3-13
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• 2021

Nickel is widely used due to its excellent toughness, malleability and enhanced corrosion resistance. Therefore, nickel is indispensable in our daily lives, and it is widely used in basic to advanced applications such as stainless steel, super alloys and electronic devices. Recently, nickel has been widely used as the major material in secondary batteries and capacitors. The use of nickel continues to rise and has increased from 800 thousand tonnes per year worldwide in the 1970s to about 2 million tonnes in the 2010s. However, nickel is a representative rare metal and ranks 23rd among the abundant elements in the earth's crust. This study reviews the current status of the nickel smelting processes as well as the trend in production amount and use. Nickel is extracted by a wide variety of smelting methods depending on the type of ore. These smelting methods are essential for the development of new recycling processes that can extract nickel from secondary nickel resources.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.182-192
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• 2022

Brittle feature is one of the fracture behaviors of structure s and has a great influence on the seismic performance of structure materials. The load velocity acts as one of the main causes of brittle fracture, and in particular, in situations such as earthquakes, a high load velocity acts on buildings. However, most of the seismic performance evaluation of the domestic and external steel connections is conducted through static experiments. Therefore, there is a possibility that brittle fracture due to factors such as degradation of material toughness and reduction of maximum deformation rate due to high load velocity during an earthquake was not sufficiently considered in the existing seismic performance evaluation. This study conducts a static test at a low load velocity according to the existing experimental method and a dynamic test at a high load velocity using a shaking table, respectively. It compares and analyzes the fracture shape and structural performance according to the results of each experiment, and finally analyzes the effect of the load velocity size on the seismic performance of the connection.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.26 no.2_2
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• pp.333-340
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• 2023

Environmental regulations are being strengthened worldwide to solve global warming. For this reason, interest in eco-friendly gas fuels such as LNG and hydrogen is continuously increasing. However, when adopting eco-friendly gas fuel, liquefying at a cryogenic temperature is essential to ensure economic feasibility in storage and transportation. Although austenitic stainless steel is typically applied to store cryogenic liquefied gas, structural steel can experience sudden heat shrinkage in the case of leakage in the loading and unloading process of LNG. In severe cases, the phase of the steel may change, so care is required. This study conducted Charpy impact tests on steel material in nine different temperature ranges, from room to cryogenic temperatures, to analyze the effects of cryogenic liquefied gas leaks. As a result of the study, it was not easy to find variations in ductile to brittle transition temperature (DBTT) due to the leakage of cryogenic liquefied gas. Still, the overall impact toughness tended to decrease, and these results were verified through fracture surface analysis. In summary, brittle fracture of the steel plate may occur when a secondary load is applied to steel for hull structural use exposed to a cryogenic environment of -40 ℃ or lower. Therefore, it needs to be considered in the ship design and operating conditions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.11
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• pp.4146-4158
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• 2022

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) has been widely utilized in military and civil protective structures to resist intensive loadings attributed to its excellent properties, e.g., high tensile/compressive strength, high dynamic toughness and impact resistance. At present, aiming to improve the defects of the traditional vertical concrete cask (VCC), i.e., the external storage facility of spent fuel, with normal strength concrete (NSC) shield, e.g., heavy weight and difficult to fabricate/transform, the feasibility of UHPC applied in the shield of VCC is numerically examined considering its high radiation and corrosion resistance. Firstly, the finite element (FE) analyses approach and material model parameters of NSC and UHPC are verified based on the 1/3 scaled VCC tip-over test and drop hammer test on UHPC members, respectively. Then, the refined FE model of prototypical VCC is established and utilized to examine its dynamic behaviors and damage distribution in accidental tip-over and end-drop events, in which the various influential factors, e.g., UHPC shield thickness, concrete ground thickness, and sealing methods of steel container are considered. In conclusion, by quantitatively evaluating the safety of VCC in terms of the shield damage and vibrations, it is found that adopting the 300 mm-thick UHPC shield instead of the conventional 650 mm-thick NSC shield can reduce about 1/3 of the total weight of VCC, i.e., about 50 t, and 37% floor space, as well as guarantee the structural integrity of VCC during the accidental drop simultaneously. Besides, based on the parametric analyses, the thickness of concrete ground in the VCC storage site is recommended as less than 500 mm, and the welded connection is recommended for the sealing method of steel containers.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.709-728
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• 2023

Experimental and analytical studies were conducted to clarify the influencing mechanisms of the longitudinal reinforcement on performance of axially loaded Reinforced Concrete-Filled Steel Tube (R-CFST) short columns. The longitudinal reinforcement ratio was set as parameter, and 10 R-CFST specimens with five different ratios and three Concrete-Filled Steel Tube (CFST) specimens for comparison were prepared and tested. Based on the test results, the failure modes, load transfer responses, peak load, stiffness, yield to strength ratio, ductility, fracture toughness, composite efficiency and stress state of steel tube were theoretically analyzed. To further examine, analytical investigations were then performed, material model for concrete core was proposed and verified against the test, and thereafter 36 model specimens with four different wall-thickness of steel tube, coupling with nine reinforcement ratios, were simulated. Finally, considering the experimental and analytical results, the prediction equations for ultimate load bearing capacity of R-CFSTs were modified from the equations of CFSTs given in codes, and a new equation which embeds the effect of reinforcement was proposed, and equations were validated against experimental data. The results indicate that longitudinal reinforcement significantly impacts the behavior of R-CFST as steel tube does; the proposed analytical model is effective and reasonable; proper ratios of longitudinal reinforcement enable the R-CFSTs obtain better balance between the performance and the construction cost, and the range for the proper ratios is recommended between 1.0% and 3.0%, regardless of wall-thickness of steel tube; the proposed equation is recommended for more accurate and stable prediction of the strength of R-CFSTs.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.467-484
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• 2023

Despite the significant features of fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (FRCCs), including better mechanical, fractural, and durability performance, their high content of cement has restricted their use in the construction industry. Although ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) is considered the main supplementary cementitious material, its slow pozzolanic reaction stands against its application. The addition of nano-sized mineral modifiers, including nano-silica (NS), is an alternative to address the drawbacks of using GGBFS. The main object of this empirical and numerical research is to examine the effect of NS on the strain-hardening behavior of cementitious composites; ten mixes were designed, and five levels of NS were considered. This study proposes a new method, using a four-point bending test to assess the use of nano-silica (NS) on the flexural behavior, first cracking strength, fracture energy, and micromechanical parameters including interfacial friction bond strength and maximum bridging stress. Digital image correlation (DIC) was used for monitoring the initiation and propagation of the cracks. In addition, to attain a deep comprehension of fiber/matrix interaction, scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis was used. It was discovered that using nano-silica (NS) in cementitious materials results in an enhancement in the matrix toughness, which prevents multiple cracking and, therefore, strain-hardening. In addition, adding NS enhanced the interfacial transition zone between matrix and fiber, leading to a higher interfacial friction bond strength, which helps multiple cracking in the composite due to the hydrophobic nature of polypropylene (PP) fibers. The findings of this research provide insight into finding the optimum percent of NS in which both ductility and high tensile strength of the composites would be satisfied. As a concluding remark, a new criterion is proposed, showing that the optimum value of nano-silica is 2%. The findings and proposed method of this study can facilitate the design and utilization of green cementitious composites in structures.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.167-172
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• 2023

Titanium alloys are widely recognized among engineering materials owing to their impressive mechanical properties, including high strength-to-weight ratios, fracture toughness, resistance to fatigue, and corrosion resistance. Consequently, applications involving titanium alloys are more susceptible to damage from unforeseen events, such as scratches. Nevertheless, the impact of microscopic damage remains an area that requires further investigation. This study delves into the microscopic wear behavior of α-titanium crystal structures when subjected to linear scratch-induced damage conditions, utilizing molecular dynamics simulations as the primary methodology. The configuration of crystal lattice structures plays a crucial role in influencing material properties such as slip, which pertains to the movement of dislocations within the crystal structure. The molecular dynamics technique surpasses the constraints of observing microscopic phenomena over brief intervals, such as sub-nano- or pico-second intervals. First, we demonstrate the localized transformation of lattice structures at the end of initialization, indentation, and wear processes. In addition, we obtain the exerted force on a rigid sphere during scratching under linear movement. Furthermore, we investigate the effect of the relaxation period between indentation and scratch deformation. Finally, we conduct a comparison study of nanoindentation between crystal and amorphous Ti substrates. Thus, this study reveals the underlying physics of the microscopic transformation of the α-titanium crystal structure under wear-like accidental events.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.30-36
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• 2024

The aerospace and power generation industries have an increasing demand for high-temperature, high-strength materials. However, conventional materials typically lack sufficient fracture toughness and oxidation resistance at high temperatures. This study aims to enhance the high-temperature properties of Nb-Si-Ti alloys through ball milling. To analyze the effects of milling time, the progression of alloying is evaluated on the basis of XRD patterns and the microstructure of alloy powders. Spark plasma sintering (SPS) is employed to produce compacts, with thermodynamic modeling assisting in predicting phase fractions and sintering temperature ranges. The changes in the microstructure and variation in the mechanical properties due to the adjustment of the sintering temperature provide insights into the influence of Nb solid solution, Nb5Si3, and crystallite size within the compacts. By investigating the changes in the mechanical properties through strengthening mechanisms, such as precipitation strengthening, solid solution strengthening, and crystallite refinement, this study aims to verify the applicability of Nb-Si-Ti alloys in advanced material systems.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.18 no.1 s.91
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• pp.21-28
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• 2006

This paper presents both experimental and analytical studies for the development of an ECC(Engineered Cementitious Composites) using ground granulated blast furnace slag(slag). This material has been focused on achieving moderately high composite strength while maintaining high ductility, represented by strain-hardening behavior in uniaxial tension. In the material development, micromechanics was adopted to properly select optimized range of the composition based on steady-state cracking theory and experimental studies on matrix, and interfacial properties. A single fiber pullout test and a wedge splitting test were employed to measure the bond properties of the fiber in a matrix and the fracture toughness of mortar matrix. The addition of the slag resulted in slight increases in the frictional bond strength and the fracture toughness. Subsequent direct tensile tests demonstrate that the fiber reinforced mortar exhibited high ductile uniaxial tension behavior with a maximum strain capacity of 3.6%. Both ductility and tensile strength(~5.3 MPa) of the composite produced with slag were measured to be significantly higher than those of the composite without slag. The slag particles contribute to improving matrix strength and fiber dispersion, which is incorporated with enhanced workability attributed to the oxidized grain surface. This result suggests that, within the limited slag dosage employed in the present study, the contribution of slag particles to the workability overwhelms the side-effect of decreased potential of saturated multiple cracking.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.120-127
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of chromium chloride addition on coloration, mechanical property and microstructure of 3Y-TZP. Materials and methods: Chromium chloride was weighed as 0.06, 0.12, and 0.25 wt% and each measured amount was dissolved in alcohol. $ZrO_2$ powder was mixed with each of the individual slurry to prepare chromium doped zirconia specimen. The color, physical properties and microstructure were observed after the zirconia specimen were sintered at $1450^{\circ}C$. In order to evaluate the color, spectrophotometer was used to analyze the value of $L^*$, $C^*$, $a^*$ and $b^*$, after placing the specimen on a white plate, and measured according to the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) standard, Illuminant D65 and SCE system. The density was measured in the Archimedes method, while microstructures were evaluated by using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and XRD. Fracture toughness was calculated Vickers indentation method and indentation size was measured by using the optical microscope. The data were analyzed with 1-way ANOVA test (${\alpha}$ = 0.05). The Tukey multiple comparison test was used for post hocanalysis. Results: 1. Chromium chloride rendered zirconia a brownish color. While chromium chloride content was increased, the color of zirconia was changed from brownish to brownish-red. 2. Chromium chloride content was increased; density of the specimen was decreased. 3. More chromium chloride in the ratio showed increase size of grains. 4. But the addition of chromium chloride did not affect the crystal phase of zirconia, and all specimens showed tetragonal phase. 5. The chromium chloride in zirconia did not showed statistically significant difference in fracture toughness, but addition of 0.25 wt% showed a statistically significant difference (P<.05). Conclusion: Based on the above results, this study suggests that chromium chlorides can make colored zirconia while adding in a liquid form. The new colored zirconia showed a slight difference in color to that of the natural tooth, nevertheless this material can be used as an all ceramic core material.