• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.47-50
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• 2017

Carbon is proven to be very effective in pinning the magnetic vortices and improving the superconducting performance of $MgB_2$ at high fields. In this work, we have used polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer as a safe and cost effective carbon source. The effects of molecular weight of PMMA on crystal structure, microstructure as well as on superconducting properties of $MgB_2$ were studied. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that there is a noticeable shift in (100) and (110) Bragg reflections towards higher angles, while no shift was observed in (002) reflections for $MgB_2$ doped with different molecular weights of PMMA. This indicates that carbon could be substituted in the boron honeycomb layers without affecting the interlayer interactions. As compared to undoped $MgB_2$, substantial enhancement in $J_c(H)$ properties was obtained for PMMA-doped $MgB_2$ samples both at 5 K and 20 K. The enhancement could be attributed to the effective carbon substitution for boron and the refinement of crystallite size by PMMA doping.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.373-379
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• 2020

In this study, TiN-coated cBN (cubic-structure boron nitride) powders were successfully synthesized by a sol-gel method using titanium (IV) isopropoxide (TTIP) and by controlling the heat treatment conditions. After the sol-gel process, amorphous nano-sized TiO_x was uniformly coated on the surface of cBN powder particles. The obtained TiO_x-coated cBN powders were heated at 1,000~1,300℃ for 1 or 6 h in a flow of 95%N₂-5%H₂ mixed gas. With increasing temperature, the chemical composition of the TiO_x coating layer changed in the order of TiO₂→Ti₆O₁₁→Ti₄O₇→TiN due to reduction of the Ti ions. The TiN coating layer was observable in the samples heated at 1,200℃ and appeared as the main phase in the sample heated at 1,300℃. The resulting thickness of the TiN coating layer of the sample heated at 1,300℃ was approximately 45~50 nm.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.366-370
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• 2013

The effects of $B_4C$ on the mechanical properties of WC/Ni-Si hardmetal were analyzed using sintered bodies comprising WC(70-x wt.%), Ni (28.5 wt.%), Si (1.5 wt.%), and $B_4C$ (x wt.%), where $$0{\leq_-}x{\leq_-}1.2$$ wt.%. Samples were prepared by a combination of mechanical milling and liquid-phase sintering. Phase and microstructure characterizations were conducted using X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and electron probe X-ray micro analysis. The mechanical properties of the sintered bodies were evaluated by measuring their hardness and transverse rupture strength. The addition of $B_4C$ improved the sinterability of the hardmetals. With increasing $B_4C$ content, their hardness increased, but their transverse rupture strength decreased. The changes of sinterability and mechanical properties were attributed to the alloying reaction between $B_4C$ and the binder metal (Ni, Si).

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.146-150
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• 2012

The effects of nano $Fe_xC$ addition to superconducting properties of $in$ $situ$ processed $MgB_2$ superconductors was examined. 0.1 wt.% and 1 wt.% nano $Fe_xC$ powders were mixed with boron and magnesium powders by ball milling. The powder mixtures were made into pellets by uniaxial pressing. The pellets were heat-treated at $700^{\circ}C-900^{\circ}C$ in argon atmosphere for $MgB_2$ formation. It was found by powder X-ray diffraction that the raw powders were completely converted into $MgB_2$ after the heat treatment. The superconducting transition temperature ($T_c$) and critical current density ($J_c$), estimated from susceptibility-temperature and $M-H$ curves, were decreased by nano $Fe_xC$ addition. The $T_c$ and $J_c$ decrease by nano $Fe_xC$ addition are attributed to the incorporation of iron and carbon with $MgB_2$ lattices (Fe substitution for Mg and C substitution for B) due to the high reactivity of the nano $Fe_xC$ powder.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.40-44
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• 2019

In this study, the effects of the compaction method for (Mg+2B) powders on the apparent density and superconducting properties of $MgB_2$ bulk superconductor were investigated. The raw powders used in this study were nano-sized boron (B) and spherical magnesium (Mg). A batch of a powder mixture of (Mg+2B) was put in a steel mold and uniaxially pressed at 1 ton or 3 tons into pellets. Another batch of the powder mixture was uniaxially pressed at 1 ton and then pressed isostatically at $1800kg/cm^2$ in the water chamber. All pellets were heat-treated at $650^{\circ}C$ for 1 h in flowing argon gas for the formation of $MgB_2$. The apparent density of powder compacts pressed at 3 ton was higher than that at 1 ton. The cold isostatic pressing (CIP) in a water chamber allowed further increase of the apparent density of powder compacts, which influenced the pellet density of the final products ($MgB_2$). The compaction methods (uniaxial pressing and CIP) did not affect the formation of $MgB_2$ and superconducting critical temperature ($T_c$) of $MgB_2$, but affected the critical current density ($J_c$) of $MgB_2$ significantly. The sample with the high apparent density showed high $J_c$ at 5 K and 20 K at applied magnetic fields (0-5 T).

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 1996.11a
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• pp.6-6
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• 1996

Ceramic based nanocomposite, in which nano-sized ceramics and metals were dispersed within matrix grains and/or at grain boundaries, were successfully fabricated in the ceramic/cerarnic and ceramic/metal composite systems such as $Al_2O_3$/SiC, $Al_2O_3$/$Si_3N_4$, MgO/SiC, mullite/SiC, $Si_3N_4/SiC, $Si_3N_4$/B, $Al_2O_3$/W, $Al_2O_3$/Mo, $Al_2O_3$/Ni and $ZrO_2$/Mo systems. In these systems, the ceramiclceramic composites were fabricated from homogeneously mixed powders, powders with thin coatings of the second phases and amorphous precursor composite powders by usual powder metallurgical methods. The ceramiclmetal nanocomposites were prepared by combination of H2 reduction of metal oxides in the early stage of sinterings and usual powder metallurgical processes. The transmission electron microscopic observation for the $Al_2O_3$/SiC nanocomposite indicated that the second phases less than 70nm were mainly located within matrix grains and the larger particles were dispersed at the grain boundaries. The similar observation was also identified for other cerarnic/ceramic and ceramiclmetal nanocornposites. The striking findings in these nanocomposites were that mechanical properties were significantly improved by the nano-sized dispersion from 5 to 10 vol% even at high temperatures. For example, the improvement in hcture strength by 2 to 5 times and in creep resistance by 2 to 4 orders was observed not only for the ceramidceramic nanocomposites but also for the ceramiclmetal nanocomposites with only 5~01%se cond phase. The newly developed silicon nitride/boron nitride nanocomposites, in which nano-sized hexagonal BN particulates with low Young's modulus and fracture strength were dispersed mainly within matrix grains, gave also the strong improvement in fracture strength and thermal shock fracture resistance. In presentation, the process-rnicro/nanostructure-properties relationship will be presented in detail. The special emphasis will be placed on the understanding of the roles of nano-sized dispersions on mechanical properties.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.447-452
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• 2016

Neodymium-iron-boron (Nd-Fe-B) sintered magnets have excellent magnetic properties such as the remanence, coercive force, and the maximum energy product compared to other hard magnetic materials. The coercive force of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets is improved by the addition of heavy rare earth elements such as dysprosium and terbium instead of neodymium. Then, the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets increases. However, additional elements have increased the production cost of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets. Hence, a study on the control of the microstructure of Nd-Fe-B magnets is being conducted. As the coercive force of magnets improves, the grain size of the $Nd_2Fe_{14}B$ grain is close to 300 nm because they are nucleation-type magnets. In this study, fine particles of Nd-Fe-B are prepared with various grinding energies in the pulverization process used for preparing sintered magnets, and the microstructure and magnetic properties of the magnets are investigated.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.156-165
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• 2019

Over the last decade, the next generation's ultra-high-temperature materials as an alternative to Nickel-based superalloys have been highlighted. Ultra-high-temperature materials based on refractory metals are one of several potential candidates. In particular, molybdenum alloys with small amounts of silicon and boron (Mo-Si-B alloys) have superior properties at high temperature. However, research related to Mo-Si-B alloys were mainly conducted by several developed countries but garnered little interest in Korea. Therefore, in this review paper, we introduce the development history of Mo-Si-B alloys briefly and discuss the properties, particularly the mechanical and oxidation properties of Mo-Si-B alloys. We also introduce the latest research trends of Mo-Si-B alloys based on the research paper. Finally, for domestic research related to this field, we explain why Mo-Si-B alloys should be developed and suggest the potential directions for Mo-Si-B alloys research.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.9-14
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• 2016

The effect of the size and shape of magnesium(Mg) powder on the formation of $MgB_2$ and the critical current density($J_{c,}$) of $MgB_2$ bulk was studied. As a precursor for the formation of $MgB_2$, Mg and $MgB_4$ powder, which was synthesized through the reaction of boron (B) with Mg powders, was used. $MgB_4$ was mixed with Mg powders of various sizes, pressed into pellets and heat-treated at $650^{\circ}C-750^{\circ}C$ in flowing argon gas. The XRD analysis of the heat-treated $MgB_2$ samples showed that the volume fraction of $MgB_2$ was the highest as 92.74 % when spherical Mg powder with an average size of $25.7{\mu}m$ was used, whereas the volume fraction was the lowest as 79.64 % when plate-like Mg powder with a size of $34.1{\mu}m$ was used. The superconducting transition temperature ($T_c$) of $MgB_2$ was not sensitive to the characteristics of the Mg powders used. All of the prepared $MgB_2$ samples showed a high $T_c$ of 38.3 K and a small superconducting transition width of 0.2 K-0.5 K. $J_c$ (5 K and 1 T) of $MgB_2$ was the highest as $3.93{\times}10^4A/cm^2$ when spherical Mg powder with a size of $25.7{\mu}m$ was used, whereas $J_c$ was the lowest as $2.18{\times}10^4A/cm^2$when plate-like Mg powder with a size of $34.1{\mu}m$ was used. The relationship between the $J_c$ of $MgB_2$ and the characteristics of the Mg powders used was explained in terms of the volume fraction of $MgB_2$ and the apparent density of the $MgB_2$ pellets.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.941-948
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• 1997

CuCl nanocrystallites dispersed nonlinear optical silica and borosilicate glasses were fabricated by sol-gel process. CuCl powder was dissolved in TEOS(Si(OC2H5)4) and TMB((CH3O)3B), precursors of silica and borosilicate glasses, with ethanol, water and HCl, and precipitated through the heat treatment in the matrix glass. The optical properties of CuCl doped glasses were measured using the spectrophotometer at room temperature and low temperature(77K); Z1, 2 and Z3 exciton peaks from the absorption spectra, were observed at about 370 nm and 380 nm, respectively. The average radius of nanocrystallites, calculated from the blue shift of Z3 excitons, was measured according to annealing temperature and time. The precipitation temperature of CuCl nanocrystallites was decreased when boron was added to silica glass. Increase of annealing temperature and time made average radius of nanocrystallites saturated about 2 nm.