• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 1997

$ZrV_{0.7}Mn_{0.5}Ni_{1.2}$ alloy is attractive for anode material in Ni/MH secondary battery because of its large hydrogen storage capacity in gas-solid reaction and long cycling durability in KOH electrolyte. In this work, in order to further improve the discharge performance of this alloy electrode, the alloy was annealed by optimal condition which is for 12 hours at $1000^{\circ}C$. The alloy annealed under optimal condition had higher rate capability and discharge capacity than as-cast one. The microstructure of the as-cast and annealed alloy was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Ni content in the matrix was increased, being this homogenized after annealing. Additionally, The measurement of the surface area by B.E.T. analysis showed that there was little difference as-cast and annealed alloy. Therefore, improvement in the rate capability of the annealed alloy is due to increase of Ni content in the matrix.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.161-171
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• 1997

$AB_2$ type Zr-based Laves phase alloys have been studied for potential application as negative electrode in Ni/MH batteries. However, They have a serious disadvantage of poor activation behavior in KOH solution. In this work, a new method of alloy design method was tried for improving Zr-based alloy activation. this method has focused on phase controlling to make multi-phase microstructure. In the case of multi-phase Zr-V-Mn-Ni shows good performance in activation, but activation mechanism has not been known. So, we were in search of elucidating this mechanism, Using morphological and electrochemical analysis, we could find that surface morphology and electocatalytic activity of the alloy change during immersion in KOH solution. V-rich second phases are selectively corroded and dissolved and then become Ni-rich phases. Resulting from these surface reaction in KOH solution, self-hydrogen charging occurs through Ni-rich phase. However, the alloy has poor cyclic durability because of such a corrosion mechanism. Therefore, finally we developed durable alloys by substitution of other alloying element.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 2005

The lowest activation temperature of a commercial vacuum getter reported so far in literature was about $400^{\circ}C$. Recently, $Ti_{0.3}Zr_{0.2}V_{0.5}$ alloy has been reported to exhibit the activation temperature lower than $200^{\circ}C$ when they are prepared as thin film. In this study, the alloy was prepared as bulk form and its activation temperature and hydrogen sorption properties were investigated in compliance with a standard method. The alloy powder was prepared by arc melting and subsequent HDH(Hydride-DeHydride) process. The activation temperature of the alloy was estimated from the ultimate pressure-temperature curve and located between $150^{\circ}C\;and\;200^{\circ}C$. The hydrogen sorption speed measured by an orifice method was 0.895 liter/sec which is comparable to thin film of same composition.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Machine Tool Engineers
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.193-200
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• 2007

Micro forming is a suited technology to manufacture very small metallic parts(several $mm{\sim}{\mu}m$). Al5083 superplastic alloy with very small grains has a great advantage in achieving micro deformation under low stress due to its relatively low strength at a specific high temperature range. Micro forming of $Zr_{62}Cu_{17}Ni_{13}Al_8$ bulk Metallic glass(BMG) as a candidate material for this developing process are feasible at a relatively low stress in the supercooled liquid state without any crystallization during hot deformation. In this study, the micro formability of Al5083 superplastic alloy and bulk metallic glass, $Zr_{62}Cu_{17}Ni_{13}Al_8$, was investigated with the specially designed micro vibration forming system using pyramid-shape, V-shape and U-shape micro die pattern. With these dies, micro vibration forming was conducted by varying the applied load, time. Micro formability was estimated by comparing the hight of formed shape using non-contact surface profiler system. The vibration load effect to metal flow in the micro die and improve the micro formability of Al5083 superplastic alloy and $Zr_{62}Cu_{17}Ni_{13}Al_8$ bulk Metallic glass(BMG).

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.480-490
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• 2003

Effects of plasma-nitriding on the pitting corrosion of Fe-30at%Al-5at%Cr alloy containing Ti, Hf, and Zr were investigated using potentiostat in 0.1M HCl. The specimen was casted by the vacuum arc melting. The subsequent homogenization was carried out in Ar gas atmosphere at $1000^{\circ}C$ for 7days and phase stabilizing heat treatment was carried out in Ar gas atmosphere at $500^{\circ}C$ for 5 days. The specimen was nitrided in the $N_2$, and $H_2$, (1:1) mixed gas of $10^{-4}$ torr at $480^{\circ}C$ for 10 hrs. After the corrosion tests, the surface of the tested specimens were observed by the optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). For Fe-30at%Al-5Cr alloy, the addition of Hf has equi-axied structure and addition of Zr showed dendritic structure. For Fe-30at%Al-5Cr alloy containing Ti, plasma nitriding proved beneficial to decrease the pitting corrosion attack by increasing pitting potential due to formation of TiN film. Addition of Hf and Zr resulted in a higher activation current density and also a lower pitting potential. These results indicated the role of dendritic structure in decreasing the pitting corrosion resistance of Fe-30Al-5Cr alloy. Ti addition to Fe-30Al-5Cr decreased the number and size of pits. In the case of Zr and Hf addition, the pits nucleated remarkably at dendritic branches.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.266-271
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• 2008

Magnesium alloys are alloyed with rare earth elements (Re, Ca, Sr) due to the limited use of magnesium in high-temperature conditions. In this study, the influences of Zr and Zn on the aging behavior of a Mg-Nd-Y alloy were investigated. magnesium alloys containing R.E elements require aging treatments Specifically, Nd, Y and Zr are commonly used for high-temperature magnesium alloys. Various aging treatments were conducted at temperatures of 200, 250 and $300^{\circ}C$ for 0.5, 1, 3, 6, and 10 hours in order to examine the microstructural changes and mechanical properties at a high temperature ($150^{\circ}C$). Hardness and high-temperature ($150^{\circ}C$) tensile tests were carried out under various aging conditions in order to investigate the effects of an aging treatment on the mechanical properties of a Mg-3.05Nd-2.06Y-1.13Zr-0.34Zn alloy. The maximum hardness was 67Hv; this was achieved after aging at $250^{\circ}C$ for 3 hours. The maximum tensile, yield strength and elongation at $150^{\circ}C$ were 237MPa, 145MPa and 13.6%, respectively, at $250^{\circ}C$ for 3 hours. The strengths of the Mg-3.05Nd-2.06Y-1.13Zr-0.34Zn alloy increased as the aging time increased to 3 hours at $250^{\circ}C$ This is attributed to the precipitation of a Nd-rich phase, a Zr-rich phase and $Mg_3Y_2Zn_3$.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.453-459
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• 2001

It is important for the fabrication of nuclear cladding to optimize the microstructure, because the properties of Zr-based nuclear claddings such as mechanical properties, oxidation-resistance and corrosion- resistance vary widely with its microstructure. The microstructure in Zr-based alloy is strongly dependent on the solubility of alloying element. However, it is very difficult to measure the solubility due to the low solution limit of alloying elements in Zr-based alloy. In this study, Thermoelectric Power(TEP) measurements are used to determine the solubility of Nb in Zr-0.8Sn alloy, which is confirmed by optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The solutioning of Nb obtained by a homogenization treatment and water-quench leads to a decrease of TEP The saturation of TEP appears with the increase of homogenization temperature, which means the saturation of the Nb content in the matrix. From these results, the solubility ($C_{Nb}$) of Nb in Zr-0.8Sn with temperature could be expressed as fellow equation : $4.69097{\times}10^{16}{\times}e^{-25300\times\;I/T}$(ppm.at.%)

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.197-210
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• 1999

The hydrogen storage performance and electrochemical properties of $Zr_{1-X}Ti_X(Mn_{0.2}V_{0.2}Ni_{0.6})_{1.8}$(X=0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6) alloys are investigated. The relationship between discharge performance and alloy characteristics such as P-C-T characteristics and crystallographic parameters is also discussed. All of these alloys are found to have mainly a C14-type Laves phase structure by X-ray diffraction analysis. As the mole fraction of Ti in the alloy increases, the reversible hydrogen storage capacity decreases while the equilibrium hydrogen pressure of alloy increases. Furthermore, the discharge capacity shows a maxima behavior and the rate-capability is increased, but the cycling durability is rapidly degraded with increasing Ti content in the alloy. In order to analyze the above phenomena, the phase distribution, surface composition, and dissolution amount of alloy constituting elements are examined by S.E.M., A.E.S. and I.C.P. respectively. The decrease of secondary phase amount with increasing Ti content in the alloy explains that the micro-galvanic corrosion by multiphase formation is little related with the degradation of the alloys. The analysis of surface composition shows that the rapid degradation of Ti-substituted Zr base alloy electrode is due to the growth of oxygen penetration layer. After comparing the radii of atoms and ions in the electrolyte, it is clear that the electrode surface becomes more porous, and that is the source of growth of oxygen penetration layer while accelerating the dissolution of alloy constituting elements with increasing Ti content. Consequently, the rapid degradation (fast growth of the oxygen-penetrated layer) with increasing Ti substitution in Zr-based alloy is ascribed to the formation of porous surface oxide through which the oxygen atom and hydroxyl ion with relatively large radius can easily transport into the electrode surface.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.94-99
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• 2014

A commercially used Zr-based amorphous alloy was recycled and the effects of introducing carbon during recycling on the glass forming ability and mechanical properties of the alloy were investigated. The initial carbon content used in this study was 229ppm. The carbon content was gradually increased as the number of recycling iterations was increased and after the $4^{th}$ recycling it rapidly increased. As return scrap was recycled, polygonal particles precipitated, and they were identified as ZrC. The amount of the precipitates also increased with recycling. Tg, Tx and ${\Delta}T$ of the base alloy were 615 K, 696 K and 81 Kr respectively and they changed to 634 K, 706 K and 72 K after the $10^{th}$ recycling. The decrease of the ${\Delta}T$ value indicates deterioration of the glass forming ability. Hardness was not changed during three iterations of recycling but after the $4^{th}$ recycling it significantly increased. This is ascribed to an increase of amount of the hard particles, namely ZrC.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.252-256
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• 2002

Ni-Nb-Ti-Zr amorphous alloys were manufactured using melt-spinning methods. Amorphous formability, the supercooled liquid region before crystallization and mechanical properties were examined. The value of the reduced glass transition temperature and the supercooled liquid region of $Ni_{62}Nb_{10}Ti_{13}Zr_{15}$ alloy were relatively high and were 0.612 and 76 K respectively. However, amorphous bulk alloy rod was not formed using the Cu-mold die casting. The mechanical properties were in the range of $800{\sim}900DPN$ of hardness and $2.5{\sim}2.8$ GPa of tensile strength in the whole composition range.