• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.511-515
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• 2018

W-10 wt% Ti alloys that have a homogeneous microstructure are prepared by thermal decomposition of $WO_3-TiH_2$ powder mixtures and spark plasma sintering. The reduction and dehydrogenation behavior of $WO_3$ and $TiH_2$ are analyzed by temperature programmed reduction and a thermogravimetric method, respectively. The X-ray diffraction analysis of the powder mixture, heat-treated in an argon atmosphere, shows W- oxides and $TiO_2$ peaks. Conversely, the powder mixtures heated in a hydrogen atmosphere are composed of W, $WO_2$ and $TiO_2$ phases at $600^{\circ}C$ and W and W-rich ${\beta}$ phases at $800^{\circ}C$. The densified specimen by spark plasma sintering at $1500^{\circ}C$ in a vacuum using hydrogen-reduced $WO_3-TiH_2$ powder mixtures shows a Vickers hardness value of 4.6 GPa and a homogeneous microstructure with pure W, ${\beta}$ and Ti phases. The phase evolution dependent on the atmosphere and temperature is explained by the thermal decomposition and reaction behavior of $WO_3$ and $TiH_2$.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.230-237
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• 2007

The fabrication of Fe alloy-40 wt.%TiC composite materials using spark plasma sintering process after ball-milling was studied. Raw powders to fabricate Fe alloy-TiC composite were Fe alloy, $TiH_{2}$ and activated carbon. Fe alloy powder was Distaloy AE (4%Ni-1%Cu-0.5%Mo-0.01%C-bal.%Fe) made by Hoeganes company with better toughness and lower melting point. These powders were ball-milled in horizontal attrition ball mill at a ball-to-powder weight ratio of 30 : 1. After that, these mixture powders were sintered by using spark plasma sintering apparatus for 5 min at $1200-1275^{\circ}C$ in vacuum atmosphere under $10^{-3}$ torr. DistaloyAE-40 wt.%TiC composite was directly synthesized by dehydrogenation and carburization reaction during sintering process. The phase transformation of as-milled powders and sintered materials was confirmed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The density and harness materials was measured in order to confirm the densification behavior. In case of DistaloyAE-40 wt.%TiC composite retained for 5 min at $1275^{\circ}C$, it has the relative density of about 96% through the influence of rapid densification and fine TiC particle reinforced Fe-based composites materials.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.12 no.5 s.52
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• pp.351-356
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• 2005

Nanoscale Al powder with thin layer of alumina was produced by Wire Electric Explosion (WEE) process. Spark-Plasma Sintering (SPS) was performed for the produced powder to confirm the effectiveness of SPS like so-called 'surface-cleaning effect' and so on. Crystallite size and alumina content of produced powder varied with the ratio of input energy to sublimation energy of Al wire ($e/e_s$): Increase in ($e/e_s$) resulted in the decrease of crystallite size and the increase of alumina content. Shrinkage curve during SPS process showed that the oxide surface layer could not be destroyed near the melting point of Al. It implied that there was not enough or no spark-plasma effect during SPS for Al/Alumina powder.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.39 no.12
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• pp.1197-1202
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• 2002

In order to develope the porous $K_2Ti_6O_13$ whisker preform with good strength, the pore characteristics and compressive strength were investigated as a function of spark plasma sintering temperature. As a result, high porous whisker preform were successfully fabricated by sintering at 900∼950${\circ}C$ for 10 min under a pressure of 40 MPa, heating rate of 50${\circ}C$/min and on-off pulse type of 12:2. The whisker preform prepared under above optimum condition showed relatively high compressive strength of 174∼266 MPa, despite of high porosity ranging from 15% to 37%. This improvement in strength was considered to be mainly due to the spark-plasma discharges and the self-heating action between whiskers. The compressive strength of whisker preform, fabricated at sintering temperature less than 900${\circ}C$, showed 80∼100 MPa. This is low strength level less than one half times compared with whisker preform fabricated at 900∼950${\circ}C$. The whisker preform fabricated at 1000${\circ}C$ showed the highest compressive strength of 523 MPa, but resulted in low porosity of ∼5%. Based on above results, it was considered that spark plasma sintering was an effective method for developing high strength and porosity of whisker preform.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.582-586
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• 2001

방전 플라즈마 소결법을 이용하여 ZrB$_2$-ZrC 복합체를 소결하여 소결 거동과 미세구조에 대하여 조사하였다. 소결 조제로서 란타늄을 첨가하였을 경우에 첨가하지 않았을 경우보다 더 낮은 온도에서 소결 수축이 시작되었으며, 180$0^{\circ}C$에서 거의 치밀화가 완성되었다. 란타늄은 방전플라즈마 소결시 초기 분말 간 액상 형성으로 물질이동을 가속화하여 ZrB$_2$-ZrC 복합체의 치밀화에 커다란 기여를 하며, 냉각 시에 재결정화하여 결정립계와 결정립 삼중점에 란타늄이 포함된 이차상을 형성하는 것으로 확인되었다. 또한 ZrB$_2$-ZrC는 강한 공유결합성 재료임에도 불구하고 미세 구조 내에 잘 발달된 전위 구조를 형성하고 있음을 확인하였다.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.504-509
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• 2009

The Zr-based bulk metallic glass matrix composites of a mixture of gas-atomized metallic glass powders and Fe-based nanostructured powders were fabricated by spark plasma sintering. The Fe-based nanostructured powders adopted for the enhancement of plasticity were well distributed in the matrix after consolidation, and the matrix remains as a fully amorphous phase. The successful consolidation of metallic glass matrix composite with high density was attributed to viscous flow in the supercooled liquid state during spark plasma sintering. Unlike other amorphous matrix composites, in which improved ductility could be obtained at the expense of their strength, the developed composite exhibited improvement both in strength and ductility. The ductility improvement in the composite was considered to be due to the formation of multiple shear bands under the presence of the Fe-based nanostructured particles.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.124-133
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• 2003

Ti-25Al-xNb (x=0, 3, 7, 11, 13 at. %) alloys and 18 vol. % TiB/(Ti-25Al-11Nb) metal matrix composite were fabricated by spark plasma sintering process at 900-120$0^{\circ}C$. Microstructural characteristics of the sintered bodies were identified by SEM, EDX analysis, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimeterric method. $Ti_3Al$ alloy was consisted of equiaxed $\alpha_2$ phase. $Ti_3Al-Nb$ alloys and the matix of TiB/(Ti-25Al-11Nb) metal matrix composite had the morphology that O phase was precipitated at the grain boundary of $\alpha_2$phase. Volume fraction of O phase and hardness were depended on the concentration of Nb in $Ti_3Al-Nb$ alloy, Rule of mixing could be applied to hardness and Young's modulus of 18 vol. % TiB/(Ti-25Al-11Nb) metal matrix composite.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.285-291
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• 2008

Fe based ($Fe_{68.2}C_{5.9}Si_{3.5}B_{6.7}P_{9.6}Cr_{2.1}Mo_{2.0}Al_{2.0}$) amorphous powder were produced by a gas atomization process, and then ductile Cu powder fabricated by the electric explosion of wire(EEW) were mixed in the liquid (methanol) consecutively. The Fe-based amorphous - nanometallic Cu composite powders were compacted by a spark plasma sintering (SPS) processes. The nano-sized Cu powders of ${\sim}\;nm$200 produced by EEW in the methanol were mixed and well coated with the atomized Fe amorphous powders through the simple drying process on the hot plate. The relative density of the compacts obtained by the SPS showed over 98% and its hardness was also found to reach over 1100 Hv.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.195-201
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• 2016

Composite materials consisting of pure aluminum matrix reinforced with different amounts of graphite particles are successfully fabricated by mechanical ball milling and spark plasma sintering (SPS) processes. The shrinkage rates of the composite powders vary with the amount of graphite particles and the lowest shrinkage value is observed for the composite with the highest amount of graphite particles. The current slopes of time increase with increase in the amount of graphite particles whereas the current slopes of temperature show the opposite trend. The highest thermal conductivity is achieved for the composite with the least amount of graphite particles. Therefore, the thermal properties of the composite materials can be controlled by controlling the amount of the graphite particles during the SPS process.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.213-220
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• 2016

In this study, bulk nickel-carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposites are synthesized by a novel method which includes a combination of ultrasonication, electrical explosion of wire in liquid and spark plasma sintering. The mechanical characteristics of the bulk Ni-CNT composites synthesized with CNT contents of 0.7, 1, 3 and 5 wt.% are investigated. X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy techniques are used to observe the different phases, morphologies and structures of the composite powders as well as the sintered samples. The obtained results reveal that the as-synthesized composite exhibits substantial enhancement in the microhardness and values more than 140 HV are observed. However an empirical reinforcement limit of 3 wt.% is determined for the CNT content, beyond which, there is no significant improvement in the mechanical properties.