자원환경지질 (Economic and Environmental Geology)

  • 제56권5호
  • /
  • Pages.603-618
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  • 2023
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  • 1225-7281(pISSN)
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  • 2288-7962(eISSN)
대한자원환경지질학회 (The Korean Society of Economic and Environmental Geology)
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사용후핵연료 심지층 처분장의 완충재 소재인 WRK 벤토나이트의 pH 차이에 따른 우라늄 흡착 특성과 기작

Uranium Adsorption Properties and Mechanisms of the WRK Bentonite at Different pH Condition as a Buffer Material in the Deep Geological Repository for the Spent Nuclear Fuel

  • 오유나 (부경대학교 지구환경시스템과학부 지구환경과학전공) ;
  • 신대현 (부경대학교 지구환경시스템과학부 지구환경과학전공) ;
  • 김단우 (부경대학교 지구환경시스템과학부 지구환경과학전공) ;
  • 전소영 (부경대학교 지구환경시스템과학부 지구환경과학전공) ;
  • 김선옥 (부경대학교 에너지자원공학과 ) ;
  • 이민희 (부경대학교 지구환경시스템과학부 환경지질과학전공)
  • Yuna Oh (Major of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Division of Earth Environmental System Science, Pukyong National University) ;
  • Daehyun Shin (Major of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Division of Earth Environmental System Science, Pukyong National University) ;
  • Danu Kim (Major of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Division of Earth Environmental System Science, Pukyong National University) ;
  • Soyoung Jeon (Major of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Division of Earth Environmental System Science, Pukyong National University) ;
  • Seon-ok Kim (Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Pukyong National University ) ;
  • Minhee Lee (Major of Environmental Geosciences, Division of Earth Environmental System Science, Pukyong National University)
  • 투고 : 2023.07.26
  • 심사 : 2023.10.17
  • 발행 : 2023.10.30
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초록

사용후핵연료(Spent nuclear fuel; SNF) 심지층 처분장의 완충재 소재로서 WRK (waste repository Korea) 벤토나이트가 적합한 지를 평가하기 위하여, 대표적인 방사성 핵종인 U (uranium)에 대한 WRK 벤토나이트의 흡/탈착 특성과 흡착 기작을 규명하는 다양한 분석, 흡/탈착 실내 실험, 동역학 흡착 모델링을 다양한 pH 조건에서 수행하였다. 다양한 특성 분석 결과, 주성분은 Ca-몬모릴로나이트이며, U 흡착 능력이 뛰어난 광물학적·구조적 특징들을 가지고 있었다. WRK 벤토나이트의 U 흡착 효율 및 탈착율을 규명하기 위한 흡/탈착 실험 결과, pH 5, 6, 10, 11 조건에서 WRK 벤토나이트와 U 오염수(1 mg/L)가 낮은 비율(2 g/L)로 혼합되었음에도 불구하고 높은 U 흡착 효율(>74%)과 낮은 U 탈착율(<14%)을 보였으며, 이는 WRK 벤토나이트가 SNF 처분장에서 U 거동을 제한하는 완충재 소재로서 적절하게 사용될 수 있음을 의미한다. pH 3과 7 조건에서는 상대적으로 낮은 U 흡착 효율(<45%)이 나타났으며, 이는 U가 용액의 pH 조건에 따라 다양한 형태로 존재하며, 존재 형태에 따라 상이한 U 흡착 기작을 가지기 때문으로 판단된다. 본 연구 실험 결과와 선행연구를 바탕으로 WRK 벤토나이트의 주요 화학적 U 흡착 기작을 pH 범위에 따라 용액 내 U의 존재 형태에 근거하여 설명하였다. pH 3 이하에서 주로 UO22+ 형태로 존재하는 U는 벤토나이트 표면의 Si-O 또는 Al-O(OH)와의 정전기적 인력(예: 이온 결합)에 의해 흡착되기 때문에 pH가 감소할수록 음전하 표면이 약해지는 WRK 벤토나이트 특성에 의해 비교적 낮은 U 흡착 효율이 나타났다. pH 7 이상의 알칼리성 조건에서 U는 음이온 U-수산화 복합체(UO2(OH)3-, UO2(OH)42-, (UO2)3(OH)7- 등)로 존재하며 비교적 높은 흡착 효율이 나타내는데, 이들은 벤토나이트에 포함된 Si-O 또는 Al-O(OH)의 산소원자를 공유하거나 리간드 교환에 의해 새로운 U-복합체가 형성되어 흡착되거나 수산화물 형태의 공침(co-precipitation)에 의해 벤토나이트에 고정되기 때문이다. pH 7의 중성 조건에서는 pH 5와 6보다 오히려 낮은 U 흡착 효율(42%)이 나타났는데, 이러한 결과는 용액 내 존재하는 탄산염(carbonate)에 의해 U가 U-수산화 복합체보다 용해도가 높은 U-탄산염 복합체로 존재하는 경우 가능하다. 연구 결과 pH를 약산성 또는 염기성 조건으로 유지하거나 용액 내 존재하는 탄산염을 제한함으로써 WRK 벤토나이트의 U 흡착 효율을 높일 수 있는 것으로 나타났다.

This study focused on evaluating the suitability of the WRK (waste repository Korea) bentonite as a buffer material in the SNF (spent nuclear fuel) repository. The U (uranium) adsorption/desorption characteristics and the adsorption mechanisms of the WRK bentonite were presented through various analyses, adsorption/desorption experiments, and kinetic adsorption modeling at various pH conditions. Mineralogical and structural analyses supported that the major mineral of the WRK bentonite is the Ca-montmorillonite having the great possibility for the U adsorption. From results of the U adsorption/desorption experiments (intial U concentration: 1 mg/L) for the WRK bentonite, despite the low ratio of the WRK bentonite/U (2 g/L), high U adsorption efficiency (>74%) and low U desorption rate (<14%) were acquired at pH 5, 6, 10, and 11 in solution, supporting that the WRK bentonite can be used as the buffer material preventing the U migration in the SNF repository. Relatively low U adsorption efficiency (<45%) for the WRK bentonite was acquired at pH 3 and 7 because the U exists as various species in solution depending on pH and thus its U adsorption mechanisms are different due to the U speciation. Based on experimental results and previous studies, the main U adsorption mechanisms of the WRK bentonite were understood in viewpoint of the chemical adsorption. At the acid conditions (＜pH 3), the U is apt to adsorb as forms of UO22+, mainly due to the ionic bond with Si-O or Al-O(OH) present on the WRK bentonite rather than the ion exchange with Ca2+ among layers of the WRK bentonite, showing the relatively low U adsorption efficiency. At the alkaline conditions (>pH 7), the U could be adsorbed in the form of anionic U-hydroxy complexes (UO2(OH)3-, UO2(OH)42-, (UO2)3(OH)7-, etc.), mainly by bonding with oxygen (O-) from Si-O or Al-O(OH) on the WRK bentonite or by co-precipitation in the form of hydroxide, showing the high U adsorption. At pH 7, the relatively low U adsorption efficiency (42%) was acquired in this study and it was due to the existence of the U-carbonates in solution, having relatively high solubility than other U species. The U adsorption efficiency of the WRK bentonite can be increased by maintaining a neutral or highly alkaline condition because of the formation of U-hydroxyl complexes rather than the uranyl ion (UO22+) in solution,and by restraining the formation of U-carbonate complexes in solution.

키워드

과제정보

이 논문은 2021년도 정부(과학기술정보통신부)의 재원으로 사용후핵연료관리핵심기술개발사업단 및 한국연구재단의 지원(No.2021M2E1A1085202)을 받아 수행되었습니다. 본 논문을 심사하신 익명의 심사위원께 감사드립니다.

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