• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.184-190
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• 1988

ZrN powder was prepared from the powder mixture of ZrCl4 and Al by the halogenide process in nitrogen gas flow (100-150ml/min) at the temperatures from 200$^{\circ}$to 1050$^{\circ}C$. ZrN powder was formed about 600$^{\circ}C$ and in the slow nitriding reaction, however, an intermediate product of Al3Zr was formed. The fine powder (0.1-10$\mu\textrm{m}$) of single phase ZrN was obtained at 1050$^{\circ}C$ after 1 hour. The lattice parameter and crystallite size of ZrN were 4.5787A and 360A, respectively. According to SEM observation, the particles were apt to agglomerates. The apparent activation energy for the formation of ZrN was approximately 13.2kcal/mole(750$^{\circ}$-1000$^{\circ}C$).

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.223-229
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• 2004

The effects of the cooling and annealing conditions on the microstructures and corrosion properties were investigated for the Cu-contained Zr-Nb alloy (Zr-1.1Nb-0.07Cu). After annealing at $1050^{\circ}C$ for 15 min, the specimens were cooled by three methods of water quenching, air cooling, and furnace cooling. Widmanstatten structures were developed in both air- and furnace-cooled specimens, and the Widmanstatten plate width of the furnace-cooled specimens was wider than that of the air-cooled ones. The weight gain in the furnace-cooling case was higher than that in the air-cooling case. This could be the reason why the diffusion time was more enough during the furnace cooling than the air cooling. The oxide of the furnace-cooled specimen was nonunformly formed just beneath the Widmanstatten plate boundaries, where ${\beta}_{Zr}$ phases were exised concentrately. Compared with the $640^{\circ}C$ annealing after the water quenching, the $570^{\circ}C$ annealing could make the ${\beta}_{Nb}$ phases and a concomitant reduction of the Nb in the matrix, and then it could improve the corrosion resistance with the increase of the annealing time. It would be concluded that the corrosion resistance of the Zr-1.1Nb-0.07Cu was good when the Nb concentration in the matrix was reached at an equilibrium level and then the ${\beta}_{Nb}$ phase was formed.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.462-469
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• 2004

The effect of Cu addition on the corrosion characteristics of Zr alloys that developed for nuclear fuel cladding in KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) was evaluated. The alloys having different element of Nb, Sn, Fe, Cr and Cu were manufactured and the corrosion tests of the alloys were performed in static autoclave at $360^{\circ}C$, distilled water condition. The alloys were also examined for their microstructures using the optical microscope and the TEM equipped with EDS and the oxide property was characterized by using X-ray diffraction. From the result of corrosion test more than 450 days, the corrosion rate of the Zr-based alloys was changed with alloying element such as Nb, Sn, Fe, Cr and especially affected by Cu addition. The corrosion resistance was increased with increasing the Cu content and the tetragonal $ZrO_2$ layer was more stabilized on the Cu-containing alloys.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.82-89
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• 2020

Among the explosives in ammunition, the delay elements, which are used as a retardant, could be influenced by the ambient temperature in the Republic of Korea, where the highest and lowest average annual temperature difference is clear. On the other hand, there has been no domestic research on this. This study examined the linear burning rates of the zirconium-nickel delay elements depending on the ambient temperature in South Korea. The ambient temperature data of South Korea were obtained from the meteorological administration, which was used to set the experimental conditions. The operational time for the K414 fuze was measured by changing the ambient temperature by 10 ℃ from -40 ℃ to 50 ℃. To convert the delay time into the burning rates, the height of the delay element in the K414 fuze body was used. The results indicated that the characteristics of the burning rates for the zirconium-nickel delay element could be estimated as linear, and both the burning rates and the delay time of the zirconium-nickel delay element were 2.73mm/ms and -4.18ms, respectively. This led to an approximately 80 ms delay time difference in the environment where the highest and lowest average annual temperature difference was above 20 ℃. Therefore, the delay time reflecting the ambient temperature should be considered when the test evaluation criteria of zirconium-nickel delay elements are established.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.159-166
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• 1997

The metalliding technique was adopted to obtain the diffusion coating of zirconium on AISI 304 Stainless Steel in molten mixed chlorides (32.9wt.%LICl-34.8wt.%NaCl-32.3wt.%). Experiments were carried out in argon gas atmosphere. The electrolytic cell was consisted of a AISI 304 Stainless steel cathode and a consumable zirconium anode. The quality of deposit was analysed by SEM, Optical Microscope, EDS, and also examined by the Micro-Vickers hardness and corrosion tests. Interface of deposit layer was identified as zirconium-iron alloy layer caused by diffusion process at elevated temperatures. The optimum condition for the metalliding was found to be the bath temperature of $550^{\circ}C$, the concentration of $K_2ZrF_6$ ,5wt.%, cathodic current derrent density of 7.0 to 10.0mA/$\textrm{cm}^2$ , and anodic current density of 2.0mA/$\textrm{cm}^2$.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.6 no.S1
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• pp.96-109
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• 1997

In order to simulate the corrosion behavior of Zr-4 alloy in pressurized water reactors it was implanted (or bombarded) with 190ke V $Zr^+\; and \;Ar^+$ ions at liquid nitrogen temperature and room temperature respectively up to a dose of $5times10^{15} \sim 8\times10^{16} \textrm{ions/cm}^2$ The oxidation behavior and electrochemical vehavior were studied on implanted and unimplanted samples. The oxidation kinetics of the experimental samples were measured in pure oxygen at 923K and 133.3Pa. The corrosion parameters were measured by anodic polarization methods using a princeton Applied Research Model 350 corrosion measurement system. Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray Photoelectric Spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to investigate the distribution and the ion valence of oxygen and zirconium ions inside the oxide films before and after implantation. it was found tat: 1) the $Zr^+$ ion implantation (or bombardment) enhanced the oxidation of Zircaloy-4 and resulted in that the oxidation weight gain of the samples at a dose of $8times10^{16}\textrm{ions/cm}^2$ was 4 times greater than that of the unimplantation ones;2) the valence of zirconium ion in the oxide films was classified as $Zr^0,Zr^+,Zr^{2+},Zr^{3+}\; and \;Zr^{4+}$ and the higher vlence of zirconium ion increased after the bombardment ; 3) the anodic passivation current density is about 2 ~ 3 times that of the unimplanted samples; 4) the implantation damage function of the effect of ion implantation on corrosion resistance of Zr-4 alloy was established.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 2004

Proton exchange membrane composed of PVA/PAM/ZrP was prepared and effect of PAM and ZrP contents on properties and performance of the membrane were investigated. PAM as a crosslinking agent was mixed into PVA solution with different concentration (7∼11 wt%) and the PVA/PAM solution was cast to prepare PVA/PAM crosslinked membrane. The membrane was treated in the solution of zirconyl chloride and phophoric acid to make a PVA/PAM/ZrP composite membrane. Methanol permeability, ion conductivity, swelling and ion exchange capacity of the membranes with different ZrP concentration were $10^{-8}∼l0^{-6}$ $\textrm{cm}^2$/sec, $10^{-3}~10^{-2}$ S/cm, 0.26∼1.17 g $H_2O$/g membrane and 2.59∼5.1 meq/g membrane, respectively. Hethanol permeability and ion conductivity of the PVA/PAM/ZrP membrane were improved by 18% and 23%, respectively, compared to those of the PVA/PAM membrane.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.271-277
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• 2004

Zr-xNb alloys (x = 0.2, 0.8, 1.5 wt.%) were prepared to study the characteristics of the phase transformation in Zr-Nb system. The samples were heat treated at ${\beta}$-temperature ($1020^{\circ}C$) for 20 min and then cooled with different cooling rate. The microstructures of the specimens having the same compositions were changed with cooling rate and Nb content. The Widmanst$\ddot{a}$tten structure was observed on the furnace-cooled sample. The relationship between ${\alpha}$-Widmanst$\ddot{a}$tten and ${\beta}$-phase was the {0001}${\alpha}$//{110}${\beta}$, <11$\bar{2}$0>//<111>. The ${\beta}$-phase in Widmanst$\ddot{a}$tten structure of Zr-Nb alloys containing Nb more than solubility limit was identified as ${\beta}_{Zr}$ phase which was a stable phase at high temperature. In the water quenched samples, two kinds of martensite structures were observed depending on the Nb-concentration. The lath martensite was formed in Zr-0.2, 0.8 wt.% Nb alloys and the plate martensite having twins was formed in Zr-1.5 wt.% Nb alloy.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.18-30
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• 2012

Zirconium is one of the most important material used as cladding of fuel rods in nuclear reactors because of its high dimensional stability, good corrosion resistance and especially low neutron-absorbing cross section. However, Hf free nuclear grade Zr sponge is commercially produced by only three countries including USA, France and Russia. So, Zr has been thoroughly managed as a national strategic material in Korea. Most of the zirconium is used for Korean nuclear industry as nuclear fuel cladding materials manufactured from Hf free Zr alloy raw material. Also, there are some other applications such as alloying element and detonator. In this review, zirconium production and recycling technologies have been reviewed and current industrial status was also analyzed. And recent achievements in innovative reduction technologies such as electrolytic reduction process and molten oxide electrolysis were also introduced.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.903-904
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• 2004