• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.389-394
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• 2016

The operation method of nuclear power plants is currently changing to high burn-up and long period that can enhance economics and efficiency of the plant. Since nuclear plant operation environment has been becoming severe, the amount of absorbed hydrogen also has increased. Absorbed hydrogen can be fatal securing safety of nuclear fuel cladding in case of Loss of Coolant Accidents(LOCA). In order to examine the impact of hydride on high-temperature oxidation, high-temperature oxidation experiment was performed on normal Zry-4 cladding and on Zry-4 cladding where hydrogen is charged in air pressure steam atmosphere under the $950^{\circ}C$ and $1000^{\circ}C$. According to the results, while oxidation acceleration due to charged hydrogen was not observed prior to breakaway oxidation creation, oxidation began to accelerate in cladding where hydrogens charged as soon as the breakaway oxidation started. If so much hydrogen are charged in the cladding, equiaxial monoclinic phase to unstable of stress is formed and it is presumed that oxidation is accelerated because nearby stress caused a crack in equiaxial phase, and that makes corrosion resistance decline sharply.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.11
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• pp.4084-4094
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• 2022

The Advanced Fuels Campaign Fission Accelerated Steady-state Test (FAST) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) completed its first irradiation cycle within the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). The test focused on the irradiation of alloy fuel forms for use in sodium fast reactors. The first cycle of FAST testing was completed and four rodlets were removed for the initial post irradiation examination (PIE). The rodlet design and irradiation conditions were evaluated using Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) for as-run power history and COMSOL for temperature analysis. These rodlets include a set of low burnups (~2.5 % fissions per initial metal atoms [%FIMA]), control rodlets, and a helium-bonded annular rodlet (4.7 %FIMA). Nondestructive PIE has been completed and includes visual inspection, neutron radiography and gamma scanning of the FAST capsules and rodlets. Radiography confirmed the integrity of the experiments, revealed that the annulus in the annular fuel was filled at a modest burnup (4.7 %FIMA), and indicated potential slumping of the cooler rodlets at lower burnup. Precision gamma scanning indicated mostly usual fission product behavior, except for cesium in the He-bonded annular fuel. Future destructive PIE will be necessary to fully interpret the effects of accelerated irradiation on U-Zr metallic fuel behavior.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.4 no.5
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• pp.524-534
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• 1994

The effects of transformation temperature and mechanical properties by thermal cycle of CuZnAl shape memory alloy with a small of misch metal and Zr contents were investigated. The addition of misch metal and Zr was very effective for reducing the grain size. After solution treatment, the specimens were post-quench aged or step quenched at $100^{\circ}C$ to $350^{\circ}C$ for variation of Rockwell hardness value. It was found that the Rockwell hareness value was very increased at $200^{\circ}C$ and $250^{\circ}C$. The fracture strength and ductility have been significantly increased with the increase of misch metal conten when tensile tested below $M_f$ temperature. Also, the fracture strength has been more increased in the case of post quench aging treatment than that of the as-quenching treatment. Aging of the $\beta$-phase decreases the $M_s$ temperature, but that of the martensite phase increases the $A_s$ temperature. The change in $A_s$ temperature with post-quench aging can be attributed to recovery of order in the $\beta$phase. The hystersis of transformation temperature ($A_s-M_s$) has an increasing tendency by thermal cycles.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.50-56
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• 1997

급냉응고법을 이용하여 고용한도 이상으로 Mn량을 첨가할 때 Mn량에 따른 인장특성의 변화와 시효특성을 조사하였다. 원심분무법으로 AI-4.7%Zn-2.5%Mg-0.2%Zr합금에 Mn량을 각기 달리 첨가한 급냉응고 분말을 제조 하였다. 이 분말을 냉간압축, 진공 탈가스처리를 한 후 15:1로 압출하여 봉상 시편을 만들었다. 분말의 미세조직은 $\alpha$-AI수지상과 수지상간 편석부로 이루어져 있으며 Mn첨가에 따라 조직의 변화는 관찰되지 않았다. 빠른 냉각속도로 인하여 2.0%Mn을 첨가한 경우에도 초정 Mn상을 발견할 수 없었다. 압출재의 미세조직은 아결정립으로 이루어져 있으며 약간의 제2상들이 관찰되었다. 대부분의 Mn 분산상은 압출후 용체화처리 과정에서 형성되었으며 시효경화량은 Mn양에 관계없이 일정하였다. 46$0^{\circ}C$에서 1시간 용체화처리하고 12$0^{\circ}C$에서 24시간 시효처리한 경우 최대의 시효경도값을 나타내었다. 인장강도는 Mn첨가량에 따라 증가 하였는데 이것은 Mn분산상의 밀도증가에 의한 것으로 확인되었다. 2.0%Mn을 첨가한 합금의 시효후 인장강도는 590MPa, 연산율은 4%를 보였다.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.171-174
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• 2000

In this study, the laser patterning of sputter-deposited amorphous CoNbZr films has been tried usig Nd: YAG laser. However, the metal film was not removed because of its high reflectance of the alser on the metal surface. To solve this problem, authors tried to screen-print a block polymer on the metal film and then irradiate the laser on the polymer. This is a new method which was suggested by this study. Using this new method, the metal films were effectively removed with the laser power of 114W even though the metal films was not removed with the laser power of 332W using the conventional method. This result leads to the conclusion that the block polymer acts as a laser energy absorbing and transferring layer.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.734-743
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• 2017

In order to investigate the swelling behavior and fuel-cladding interaction mechanism of U-10Zr alloy metallic fuel at very low burnup, an irradiation experiment was concisely designed and conducted on the China Mianyang Research Reactor. Two types of irradiation samples were designed for studying free swelling without restraint and the fuel-cladding interaction mechanism. A new bonding material, namely, pure aluminum powder, was used to fill the gap between the fuel slug and sample shell for reducing thermal resistance and allowing the expansion of the fuel slug. In this paper, the concise irradiation rig design is introduced, and the neutronic and thermal-hydraulic analyses, which were carried out mainly using MCNP (Monte Carlo N-Particle) and FLUENT codes, are presented. Out-of-pile tests were conducted prior to irradiation to verify the manufacturing quality and hydraulic performance of the rig. Nondestructive postirradiation examinations using cold neutron radiography technology were conducted to check fuel cladding integrity and swelling behavior. The results of the preliminary examinations confirmed the safety and effectiveness of the design.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.136-142
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• 2022

This paper investigates the enhanced wear performance of a CrAl coated accident tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding. In the wake of the Fukushima accident, extensive research on ATF with respect to improving the oxidation resistance of cladding materials is ongoing. Since coated Zr claddings can be applied without major changes to the criteria for reactor core design, many researchers are studying coatings for claddings. To improve the quality of the CrAl coating layer, optimization of the manufacturing process is imperative. This study employs arc ion plating to obtain improved CrAl coated claddings using CrAl binary alloy targets through an improved coating method. Surface roughness and adhesion are improved, and droplets are reduced. Furthermore, the coated layer has a dense and fine microstructure. In scratch tests, all the tested CrAl coated claddings exhibit a superior resistance compared to the Zr cladding. In a fretting wear test, the wear volume of the CrAl coated claddings is smaller compared to the Zr cladding. Furthermore, the coated cladding manufactured through the improved process exhibits better wear resistance than other CrAl coated claddings. Based on these results, we suggest that fine microstructure is attributed to a mechanically and microstructurally robust CrAl coating layer, which enhances wear resistance.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 1998

[ $AB_2-type$ ] alloy, one kind of hydrogen storage alloys used as an anode of Ni-MH batteries, has large discharge capacity but has remaining problems regarding initial activation, cycle life and self-discharge. This study investigates the effects of Cr-addition and fluorination after La-addition on $Zr_{0.7}Ti_{0.3}V_{0.4}Mn_{0.4}Ni_{1.2}$, composition $AB_2-type$ alloy. EPMA and SEM surface analysis techniques were used and the crystal structure was characterized by XRD analysis. In addition, electrodes were fabricated out of the alloys and characterized by constant current cycling test, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization. Cr-addition was found to be effective to cycle life and self-discharge but ineffective to initial activation due to formation of stable oxide film on surface. Fluorination after La-addition to the alloys improved initial activation remarkably due to formation of highly reactive particles on surface.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.333-339
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• 1995

The reduction and diffusion process(R-D process) is an economical way to produce the functional materials which contain rare-earth elements and has been applied to the production of rare-earth magnet meterials($SmCo_5$, $Nd_{15}Fe_{77}B_8$), magneto-optical(MO) target materials and hydrogen storage alloy, etc. However, because of difficult to control of the final composition, the R-D process has not been applied to production of the 2-17 type rare earth permanent magnet materials which contain several elements. Therefore, this work was as a basic study for the production of the 2-17 type rare earth permanent materials with composition $Sm(Co_{0.72}Fe_{0.21}Cu_{0.05}Zr_{0.03})_{7.9}$ by the R-D process, the following were mainy examined ; the amount of metallic calcium as a reductant, homogenization condition of the alloy after the R-D reaction, masuring of magnetic properties of the sample after step aging. The sample prepared by the R-D process contained a little more oxygen than that prepared by the melting method, however, showed almost the same magnetic properties.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.181-195
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• 1993

The purpose of this research is to improve the density and the hardness of the SUS alloys for wear resistant materials. The dependence of the density, shrinkage ratio and hardness of various alloys on the sintering temperature and composition were examined. Alloys added with 3% Ti shows the most proper sintering properties of shrinkage ratio and the hardness which is enough to substitute for existing high price materials.