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Permanent magnetic materials are essential for converting mechanical and electric energy, and are needed in electric vehicles, electronics, wind turbines, and etc. However, high performance rare-earth element based magnets have many limitations, including critical materials problems and the degradation of magnetic properties at elevated temperatures. There has been increasing international demand to solve these problems, and to develop new magnets with reduced rare earth materials, or free magnets based on metallic alloys. This paper describes current research trends, and state of art and future research directions for next generation permanent magnetic materials, to accelerate their research and rapid industrialization. (Received July 26 2021; Accepted August 19, 2021)

keyword : permanent magnet, rare earth element reduced and free magnet, next generation permanent magnetic materials

The effect of alloying elements and microstructure on the dynamic strain aging (DSA) behavior of 1.25Cr-0.5Mo (P11, ASTM 335Gr.P11) and 2.25Cr-1Mo (P22, ASTM 335Gr.P22) steels was investigated. For both steels, different cooling conditions such as air-cooling (AC) and oil-quenching (OQ) were applied. Tensile tests were conducted in the temperature range of 20-450 ℃ and a strain rate in the range of 6 × 10^-5- 6 × 10^-3 s^-1 for the steels with different cooling conditions. The P11AC steel showed serration behavior over a wider temperature range and exhibited higher ultimate tensile strength (UTS) than for the P22AC steel. This is attributed to the effects of alloying elements (Cr, Mo and Si) due to dissolved C, and the ferrite fraction on mechanical behavior. Meanwhile, the P11AC and P11OQ steels also showed different behaviors for DSA starting temperature, DSA temperature range, and serration type. The AC condition showed higher UTS from the interaction solid solution hardening (ISSH) effect due to substitutional Cr, Mo, and interstitial C elements. The calculated activation energy value (Q) for the P11 steel was around 94-103 kJ/mol^-1, similar to that of ferritic steels, and it was higher for the P22 steel, with a Q value of 233 kJ/mol^-1 from the ISSH effect. (Received July 21, 2021; Accepted August 23, 2021)

keyword : dynamic strain aging, 1, 25Cr-0, 5Mo steel, 2, 25Cr-1Mo steel, interaction solid solution hardening, heat treatment, carbides

The effects of cooling rate on the microstructure and cryogenic impact toughness of coarse-grained heat-affected zone (CGHAZ) and inter-critically reheated coarse-grained HAZ (IC CGHAZ) in 9% Ni steel were investigated. CGHAZ and IC CGHAZ specimens were prepared from 9% Ni steel by controlling the cooling rate of the simulated welding process. The microstructure of the CGHAZ specimens consisted of auto-tempered martensite and lath martensite. As the cooling rate increased, the volume fraction of the auto-tempered martensite and the effective grain size decreased. A large amount of fine carbides was distributed inside the auto-tempered martensite, the dislocation density was low, and high angle grain boundaries were not observed. The microstructure of the IC CGHAZ specimens consisted of tempered martensite and lath martensite. As the cooling rate increased, the volume fraction of the tempered martensite and effective grain size decreased. Finer carbides were distributed inside the tempered martensite than in the auto-tempered martensite, the dislocation density was low, and high angle grain boundaries were not observed. Cryogenic fracture revealed that ductile fracture occurred in the auto-tempered martensite and tempered martensite, and brittle fracture occurred in the lath martensite. The crack propagation path was zig-zag in the high angle grain boundaries of the lath martensite. The volume fraction of auto-tempered martensite and tempered martensite and the effective grain size in the HAZ specimens had a significant effect on cryogenic impact toughness. In the IC CGHAZ specimens, cryogenic impact toughness decreased and then became constant as the cooling rate increased, due to a decrease in the volume fraction of the tempered martensite and effective grain size. (Received July 14 2021; Accepted August 13, 2021)

keyword : Ni steel, heat affected zone, heat input, cooling rate, charpy impact toughness

Compressed wires are produced by cross-sectionally compressing stranded conductors, which results in a smaller conductor diameter. This also leads to a lower weight wire, because a thinner external insulated coating can be used, compared to the low-voltage wires typically used in automobiles. However, a post production heat treatment of the compressed wires is required because plastic deformation occurs during compression after drawing the wires. In this study, the work hardening of stranded compressed copper wires was controlled by Joule-heating, and the resulting changes in microstructure, mechanical, and electrical properties after various annealing voltages (0, 25, 27, 31, 35, and 39 V) were observed. The results confirmed that as the annealing voltage increased from 0 to 31 V, the anisotropic deformation texture with a <111> orientation as the main component was reduced, and micrograins were generated throughout the stranded wires via recrystallization. At an annealing voltage above 31 V, the grains grew to be more than twice as large as those before heat treatment. At an annealing voltage of 31 V these structural changes contribute to the elongation increase of the compressed wires to 28.34%, and an improvement in electrical resistance to 145.85 mΩ. (Received July 7 2021; Accepted August 23, 2021)

keyword : compressed wire, joule-heating, annealing voltage, recrystallization

Silicon (Si) has a high theoretical capacity and low working potential vs. Li/Li⁺, and has been investigated as the most capable negative electrode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, Si undergoes significant volume changes during the Li⁺ alloying/ dealloying processes, leading to unstable cycle life and limiting its practical applicability in anodes. Introducing carbon into the Si anodes can effectively address the Si drawbacks, while providing advantages of improved conductivity and structural stability. In this study we choose gelatin/ melamine combination as an eco-friendly and cost-effective source for nitrogen-doped carbon to make a Si composite. The prepared composite was studied as an anode material for LIBs, and it delivered excellent cyclability with 2175 mAh g^-1 capacity after 50 cycles with 86% capacity retention at 200 mA g^-1. The composite exhibited superior rate capability and improved Li⁺ diffusion properties compared with bare Si nanoparticles (Si NP). The significant enhancement could be attributed to the structural stability and conductivity provided by the nitrogen-doped carbon matrix. This work promotes emerging batteries with low-cost materials as a promising solution for increasing energy storage requirements. (Received June 29, 2021; Accepted August 20, 2021)

keyword : gelatin and melamine, silicon-carbon composite, anode material, li-ion diffusion, li-ion batteries

Given the global demand for green energy, the battery industry is positioned to be an important future technology. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which are the most widely used battery in the market, are the focus of various research and development efforts, from materials to systems, that seek to improve their performance. The separator is one of the core materials in LIBs and is a significant factor in the lifespan of high-performance batteries. To improve the performance of present LIBs, electrochemical testing and related surface analyses of the separator is essential. In this paper, we prepared a ceramic (Boehmite, γ-AlOOH) coated polypropylene separator and a porous polyimide separator to compare their electrochemical properties with a commercialized polypropylene (PP) separator. The prepared separators were assembled into nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cathode half-cell and full-cell lithium-ion batteries. Their cycling performances were evaluated using differential capacity and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy with ethylene carbonate:dimethylcarbonate (EC:DMC) electrolyte. The ceramic coated polypropylene separator exhibited the best cycle performance at a high 5 C rate, with high ionic conductivity and less resistive solid electrolyte interphase. Also, it was confirmed that a separator solid electrolyte interface (SSEI) layer formed on the separator with cycle repetition, and it was also confirmed that this phenomenon determined the cycle life of the battery depending on the electrolyte. (Received July 13, 2021; Accepted August 20, 2021)

keyword : lithium-ion battery, separator, solid electrolyte interface

A three-dimensionally interconnected graphene-reinforced Cu (3Di Gr-Cu) composite was synthesized using a simple two-step process technique which involves the mechanical compaction of micron-sized Cu particles followed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) at 995 ℃. The microstructural properties of pure Cu and the 3Di Gr-Cu composite were investigated by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, and X-ray diffractometer. The electrical and corrosion behaviors of the 3Di Gr-Cu composite and Cu only, prepared by powder metallurgy (PM Cu), were studied and compared. The electrical conductivity (EC) of the 3Di Gr-Cu composites was found to be 38.8 MSm^-1 at a carbon content of 73 ppm, and exhibited a 12% higher EC than the PM Cu. Due to the interconnected graphene around the Cu grains, the corrosion current density and corrosion rate of the 3Di Gr-Cu composite decreased by 29% and 40%, respectively, compared to the PM Cu. The EC of the 3Di Gr-Cu composite depended on the carbon content. The improvement in the EC of the 3Di Gr-Cu composite is attributed to the electron-carrying ability of the three-dimensionally interconnected graphene network (3DIGN) formed at the grain boundaries in the composite. The enhancement in corrosion resistance is due to the impermeability of graphene to various chemical species. (Received May 17, 2021; Accepted August 11, 2021)

keyword : 3Di Gr-Cu, CVD, electrochemical corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity

Development new high-performance thermoelectric materials for more efficient power generation systems and eco-friendly refrigerating systems has been challenging. Over the past few decades, thermoelectric studies have been focused on increasing the thermoelectric properties of materials. However, for conventional applications, developing of thermoelectric devices or modules with lower cost and simpler fabrication processes is also important. Simulation models that can predict the thermoelectric efficiency of modules using the thermoelectric properties of materials are needed for this purpose. In this study, we developed a simple model for calculating the efficiency of thermoelectric modules using MATLAB/Simulink. In this model, the temperature difference between the hot source and heat sink was fixed to ensure the precise comparisons of thermoelectric efficiency. The electric resistivity and Seebeck coefficient of thermoelectric materials was used in order to predict the efficiency of the thermoelectric modules. Then, the efficiency of the thermoelectric modules was verified using measured values which had been reported in prior experimental works. In this study, the simulated values were higher than the real thermoelectric effiency values. To address this, the simulations should consider the thermal resistance or electric contact resistance between the thermoelectric materials and electrodes. (Received July 16, 2021; Accepted August 24, 2021)

keyword : thermoelectrics, efficiency, modules, simulation, MATLAB/Simulink, Seebeck effect

In this study, we constructed a deep convolutional generative adversarial network (DCGAN) to generate the microstructural images that imitate the real microstructures of binary Al-Si cast alloys. We prepared four combinations of alloys, Al-6wt%Si, Al-9wt%Si, Al-12wt%Si and Al-15wt%Si for machine learning. DCGAN is composed of a generator and a discriminator. The discriminator has a typical convolutional neural network (CNN), and the generator has an inverse shaped CNN. The fake images generated using DCGAN were similar to real microstructural images. However, they showed some strange morphology, including dendrites without directionality, and deformed Si crystals. Verification with Inception V3 revealed that the fake images generated using DCGAN were well classified into the target categories. Even the visually imperfect images in the initial training iterations showed high similarity to the target. It seems that the imperfect images had enough microstructural characteristics to satisfy the classification, even though human cannot recognize the images. Cross validation was carried out using real, fake and other test images. When the training dataset had the fake images only, the real and test images showed high similarities to the target categories. When the training dataset contained both the real and fake images, the similarity at the target categories were high enough to meet the right answers. We concluded that the DCGAN developed for microstructural images in this study is highly useful for data augmentation for rare microstructures. (Received July 22, 2021; Accepted August 24, 2021)

keyword : Machine learning, generative adversarial network, image generation, microstructure, aluminum alloys