• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.301-307
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• 2005

The morphology of the high burnup $UO_2$ spent fuel, which was oxidized and annealed in a PIA (Post Irradiation Annealing) apparatus, has been observed. The high burnup fuel irradiated in Ulchin Unit 2, average rod burnup 57,000 MWd/tU, was transported to the KAERI's PIEF. The test specimen was used with about 200 mg of the spent $UO_2$ fuel fragment of the local burnup 65,000 MWd/tU. This specimen was annealed at $1400^{\circ}C$ for 4hrs after the oxidation for 3hrs to grain boundary using the PIA apparatus in a hot-cell. In order to oxidize the grain boundary, the oxidation temperature increased up to $500^{\circ}C$ and held for 3hrs in the mixed gas (60 ml He and 100 ml STD-air) atmosphere. The amount of 85Kr during the whole test process was measured to know the fission gas release behavior using the online system of a beta counter and a gamma counter. The detailed micro-structure was observed by a SEM to confirm the change of the fuel morphology after this test. As the annealing temperature increased, the fission products were observed to move to the grain surface and grain boundary of the $UO_2$ matrix. This specimen was re-structured through the reduction process, and the grain sizes were distributed from 5 to $10\;{\mu}m$.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.343-353
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• 2017

Processing and equipment were tailored for engineering scale fabrication of $UO_2$ porous pellets, a feed material for the electrolytic reduction process in the PRIDE (PyRoprocessing Integrated DEmonstration) facility at KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute). The starting materials, $UO_2$ powder and pre-milled surrogate oxide powders, were proportioned to simulate the chemical composition of spent fuel (so-called Simfuel). The Simfuel powders were homogenized by mixing, compacted into a pellet shape, and finally heat treated using a tumbling mixer, rotary press, and sintering furnace. After sintering at $1450^{\circ}C$ for 24 h in $4%\;H_2-Ar$, the average bulk density of the $UO_2$ Simfuel pellets was $6.89g{\cdot}cm^{-3}$, which meets the standard of the following electrolytic reduction process. In addition, the results of a microstructural analysis demonstrated that the sintered Simfuel $UO_2$ porous pellets accurately simulate the properties of spent fuel in terms of the formation of second phases. These results provide essential information for the massive fabrication of $UO_2$ porous pellets for engineering scale pyroprocessing research.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.608-617
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• 1999

The powder mixture which has a bimodal size distribution, with a large mode corresponding to AUC-UO$_2$ powder and a small one corresponding to ADU-UO$_2$ powder, was prepared, pressed into compacts, and sintered at 1680t for 4 hours in hydrogen gas. The compact density of the powder mixture increases with increasing ADU-UO$_2$content within a content of 20 wt %, since small ADU-UO$_2$ particles can fill interstices between large AUC-UO$_2$particles. The UO$_2$ pellet made using the powder mixture has a lower open porosity than that made using AUC-UO$_2$ powder alone. The mechanism for the formation of a flake-like pore is proposed, and the decrease in open porosity may be ascribed to the decrease in the number of flake-like pores.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.166-170
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• 2000

Nuclear fuel $UO_{2+x}$ power was produced from concentrated $UF_6$ by the DCP(Dry Conversion Process). The characterstics of $UO_{2+x}$ powder, prepared with respect to steam flowing conditions and temperature variations in a rotary kiln reactor, have been investigated with a uranium analyzer, water vapor measurement, and SEM. Fluorine content of the powder could be reduced to 8ppm. The moisture content was found to be optimized.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.241.2-241
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.264-264
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• 1998

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1999.05a
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• pp.261-261
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• 1999

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.310.2-310.2
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• 2004

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2019

As candidates for accident-tolerant fuels, ceramic microcell fuels, which are distinguished by their peculiar microstructures, are being developed; these fuels have $UO_2$ grains surrounded by cell walls. They contribute to nuclear fuel safety by retention of fission products within the $UO_2$ pellet, reducing rod pressure and incidence of SCC failure. Cesium, a hazardous fission product in terms of amount and radioactivity, can be captured by chemical reactions with ceramic cell materials. The capture-ability of cesium therefore depends on the thermodynamics of the capturing reaction. Conversely, compositional design of cell materials should be based on thermodynamic predictions. This study proposes thermodynamic calculations to evaluate the cesium capture-ability of three ceramic microcell compositions: Si-Ti-O, Si-Cr-O and Si-Al-O. Prior to the calculations, the chemical and physical states of the cesium and the cell materials were defined. Then, the reactivity was evaluated by calculating the cesium potential (${\Delta}G_{Cs}$) and oxygen potential (${\Delta}G_{O_2}$) under simulated LWR circumstances of normal operation. Based on the results, cesium capture is expected to be spontaneous in all cell compositions, providing a basis for the compositional design of ceramic microcell fuels as well as a facile way for evaluating cesium capture.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.227.2-227
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• 2001