• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.142-147
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• 2010

Nano-sized $BaNd_2Ti_5O_{14}$ powders were prepared by the spray pyrolysis process. Sucrose used as the organic additive enabled the formation of nano-sized $BaNd_2Ti_5O_{14}$ powders. The powders prepared from the spray solution without sucrose had a spherical shape, dense structure and micron size before and after calcination. However, the precursor powders prepared from the spray solution with sucrose had a large size, and hollow and porous morphology. The precursor powders had an amorphous crystal structure because of the short residence time of the powders inside the hot wall reactor. The complete decomposition of sucrose did not occur inside the hot wall reactor. Therefore, the precursor powders obtained from the spray solution with sucrose of 0.5M had a carbon content of 39.2wt.%. The powders obtained from the spray solution with sucrose of 0.5M had a slightly aggregated structure of nano-sized primary powders of $BaNd_2Ti_5O_{14}$ crystalline phase after calcination at $1000^{\circ}C$. The calcined powders turned into nano-sized $BaNd_2Ti_5O_{14}$ powders after milling. The mean size of the $BaNd_2Ti_5O_{14}$ powders was 125 nm.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.217-225
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• 2018

In this study, we spray a Ni-Cr composite powder onto AISI 4340 steel using the high velocity oxygen fuel method. We subsequently subject the Ni-Cr coating (as-sprayed) to ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (UNSM) process to improve the tribological performance. This study aims at increasing the wear resistance and durability of the Ni-Cr coating by altering the surface integrity and microstructure via the UNSM process. The UNSM process reduces the surface roughness of the as-sprayed coating by about 64%, which is explained by observing the elimination of high peaks and valleys and filling up micro-pores. Furthermore, a change in the microstructure of the coating due to continuous high-frequency strikes to the surface by a tip can lead to an increase in hardness from about 48 to 60 HRC. Furthermore, we investigate the characterization of the friction and wear behavior of Ni-Cr coating by a ball-on-disc tribometer in the dry conditions. We determine that after the UNSM process, there is a significant reduction in the friction coefficient of the as-sprayed coating from approximately 1.1 to 0.75. This is owing to the increased hardness and smoothed surface roughness. In addition, we investigate the surface morphology and wear track of the coatings before and after the UNSM process using a scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometer, and three-dimensional laser scanning microscope. We observe that the wear track of the Ni-Cr coating after the UNSM process is lower than that of the as-sprayed one. Thus, we confirm that the UNSM process has a significant influence on the improvement of the tribological performance of the Ni-Cr composite coating.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.340-347
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• 2021

Among various metal oxide semiconductors, ZnO has an excellent electrical, optical properties with a wide bandgap of 3.3 eV. It can be applied as a photocatalytic material due to its high absorption rate along with physical and chemical stability to UV light. In addition, it is important to control the morphology of ZnO because the size and shape of the ZnO make difference in physical properties. In this paper, we demonstrate synthesis of size-controlled ZnO tetrapods using an atmospheric pressure plasma system. A micro-sized Zn spherical powder was continuously introduced in the plume of the atmospheric plasma jet ignited with mixture of oxygen and nitrogen. The effect of plasma power and collection sites on ZnO nanostructure was investigated. After the plasma discharge for 10 min, the produced materials deposited inside the 60-cm-long quartz tube were obtained with respect to the distance from the plume. According to the SEM analysis, all the synthesized nanoparticles were found to be ZnO tetrapods ranging from 100 to 600-nm-diameter depending on both applied power and collection site. The photocatalytic efficiency was evaluated by color change of methylene blue solution using UV-Vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity increased with the increase of (101) and (100) plane in ZnO tetrapods, which is caused by enhanced chemical effects of plasma process.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.286-295
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• 2021

This study attempts to find optimal conditions of the friction coefficient using a discrete element method (DEM) simulation with various friction coefficient conditions and three different grinding media with various ball sizes in a traditional ball mill (TBM). Using ball motion of the DEM simulation are obtained using the optimal friction coefficient compared with actual motion; photographs are taken by the digital camera and the snapshot images are analyzed. In the simulation, the rotation speed of the mill, the materials and velocity of the grinding media, and the friction coefficient between the balls and the wall of the pot are fixed as the actual experimental conditions. We observe the velocity according to the friction coefficient from the DEM simulation. The friction coefficient is found to increase with the velocity. Milling experiments using a traditional ball mill with the same experimental conditions as those of the DEM simulation are conducted to verify the simulated results. In addition, particle morphology change of copper powder is investigated and analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the milling experiment.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.193-204
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• 2019

Purpose: The reaction of cells to a titanium implant depends on the surface characteristics of the implant which are affected by decontamination. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytocompatibility of titanium disks treated with various decontamination methods, using salivary bacterial contamination with dental pellicle formation as an in vitro model. Methods: Sand-blasted and acid-etched (SA) titanium disks were used. Three control groups (pristine SA disks [SA group]; salivary pellicle-coated SA disks [pellicle group]; and biofilm-coated, untreated SA disks [NT group]) were not subjected to any decontamination treatments. Decontamination of the biofilm-coated disks was performed by 14 methods, including ultrasonic instruments, rotating instruments, an air-powder abrasive system, a laser, and chemical agents. MG63 cells were cultured in the presence of the treated disks. Cell proliferation assays were performed on days 2 and 5 of cell culture, and cell morphology was analyzed by immunofluorescence and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) assay was performed on day 5 of culture. Results: The cell proliferation assay revealed that all decontaminated disks, except for the 2 groups treated using a plastic tip, showed significantly less cell proliferation than the SA group. The immunofluorescence and SEM analyses revealed that most groups showed comparable cell density, with the exception of the NT group, in which the cell density was lower and bacterial residue was observed. Furthermore, the cells grown with tetracycline-treated titanium disks showed significantly lower VEGF production than those in the SA group. Conclusions: None of the decontamination methods resulted in cytocompatibility similar to that of pristine SA titanium. However, many methods caused improvement in the biocompatibility of the titanium disks in comparison with the biofilm-coated, untreated titanium disks. This suggests that decontamination is indispensable for the treatment of peri-implantitis, even if the original biocompatibility cannot be restored.

• Current Applied Physics
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1403-1409
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• 2018

In the present study, the $SrMoO_4:Eu^{3+}$ phosphors has been synthesized through hydro-thermal co-precipitation method, and single factor and orthogonal experiment method was adopted to find optimal synthesis condition. It is interesting to note that hydro-thermal temperature is a prominent effect on the luminescent intensity of $SrMoO_4:Eu^{3+}$ red phosphor, followed by co-precipitation temperature, calcining time, and the doping amount of $Eu^{3+}$. The optimal synthesis conditions were obtained: hydro-thermal temperature is $145^{\circ}C$, co-precipitation temperature is $35^{\circ}C$, the calcining time is 2.5 h, and the doping amount of activator $Eu^{3+}$ is 25%. Subsequently, the crystalline particle size, phase composition and morphology of the synthesized phosphors were evaluated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that these phosphors possess a scheelite-type tetragonal structure, and the particle size is about $0.2{\mu}m$. Spectroscopic investigations of the synthesized phosphors are carried out with the help of photo-luminescence excitation and emission analysis. The studies reveal that $SrMoO_4:Eu^{3+}$ phosphor efficiently convert radiation of 394 nm-592 and 616 nm for red light, and the luminescence intensity of $SrMoO_4:Eu^{3+}$ phosphors is improved. $SrMoO_4:Eu^{3+}$ phosphors may be a potential application for enhancing the efficiency of white LEDs.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.2582-2590
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• 2021

The high-energy milling is one of the most extended techniques to produce Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) powder steels for nuclear applications. The consequences of the high energy mill process on the final powders can be measured by means of deformation level, size, morphology and alloying degree. In this work, an ODS ferritic steel, Fe-14Cr-5Al-3W-0.4Ti-0.25Y₂O₃-0.6Zr, was fabricated using two different mechanical alloying (MA) conditions (M_std and M_act) and subsequently consolidated by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). Milling conditions were set to evidence the effectivity of milling by changing the revolutions per minute (rpm) and dwell milling time. Differences on the particle size distribution as well as on the stored plastic deformation were observed, determining the consolidation ability of the material and the achieved microstructure. Since recrystallization depends on the plastic deformation degree, the composition of each particle and the promoted oxide dispersion, a dual grain size distribution was attained after SPS consolidation. M_act showed the highest areas of ultrafine regions when the material is consolidated at 1100 ℃. Microhardness and small punch tests were used to evaluate the material under room temperature and up to 500 ℃. The produced materials have attained remarkable mechanical properties under high temperature conditions.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.455-460
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• 2022

Brush-like ZnO hierarchical nanostructures decorated with MgxZn1-xO (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) were fabricated and examined for application to a gas sensor. They were synthesized using vapor phase growth (VPG) on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates. To generate electronic accumulation at ZnO surface, MgZnO nanoparticles were prepared by sol-gel method, and the ratio of Mg and Zn was adjusted to optimize the device for NO₂ gas detection. As the electrons in the accumulation layer generated by the heterojunction reacted faster and more frequently with the gas, the sensitivity and speed improved. When tested as sensing materials for gas sensors at 100 ppm NO₂ at 300℃, these MgZnO decorated ZnO nanostructures exhibited an improvement from 165 to 514 times compared to pristine ZnO. The response and recovery time of the MgZnO decorated ZnO samples were shorter than those of the pristine ZnO. Various analyzing techniques, including field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) were employed to confirm the growth morphology, atomic composition, and crystalline information of the samples, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.57-65
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• 2022

Herein a rich, Se-nanoparticle modified Mo-W₁₈O₄₉ nanocomposite as efficient hydrogen evolution reaction catalyst is reported via hydrothermal synthesized process. In this work, Na₂SeSO₃ solution and selenium powder are used as Se precursor material. The structure and composition of the nanocomposites are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), EDX spectrum analysis and the corresponding element mapping. The improved electrochemical properties are studied by current density, and EIS analysis. The as-prepared Se modified Mo-W₁₈O₄₉ synthesized via Na₂SeSO₃ is investigated by FE-SEM analysis and found to exhibit spherical particles combined with nanosheets. This special morphology effectively improves the charge separation and transfer efficiency, resulting in enhanced photoelectric behavior compared with that of pure Mo-W₁₈O₄₉. The nanomaterial obtained via Na₂SeSO₃ solution demonstrates a high HER activity and low overpotential of -0.34 V, allowing it to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm^-2.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.315-322
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• 2023

In the present work, we address the new route for the green synthesis of manganese dioxide (MnO₂) by an innovative method named the solution plasma process (SPP). The reaction mechanism of both colloidal and nanostructured MnO₂ was investigated. Firstly, colloidal MnO₂ was synthesized by plasma discharging in KMnO₄ aqueous solution without any additives such as reducing agents, acids, or base chemicals. As a function of the discharge time, the purple color solution of MnO₄^- (oxidation state +7) was changed to the brown color of MnO₂ (oxidation state +4) and then light yellow of Mn²⁺ (oxidation state +2). Based on the UV-vis analysis we found the optimal discharging time for the synthesis of stable colloidal MnO₂ and also reaction mechanism was verified by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) analysis. Secondly, MnO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized by SPP with a small amount of reducing sugar. The precipitation of brown color was observed after 8 min of plasma discharge and then completely separated into colorless solution and precipitation. It was confirmed layered type of nanoporous birnessite-MnO₂ by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and electron microscopes. The most important merits of this approach are environmentally friendly process within a short time compared to the conventional method. Moreover, the morphology and the microstructure could be controllable by discharge conditions for the appropriate potential applications, such as secondary batteries, supercapacitors, adsorbents, and catalysts.