• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.05b
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• pp.171-176
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• 1997

UO$_2$-Gd$_2$O$_3$fuel has been sintered to study the effect of powder property and sintering atmospheres on densification and microstructure. Three types of powders have been used; AUC-UO$_2$ powder and ADU-UO$_2$ powder were mixed with Gd$_2$O$_3$ Powder, and co-milled AUC-UO$_2$ and Gd$_2$O$_3$ powder. UO$_2$-(2, 5, 10)wt% Gd$_2$O$_3$pellets have been sintered at 168$0^{\circ}C$ for 4 hours in the mixture of H$_2$ and $CO_2$ gases, of which oxygen potential has been controlled by the ratio of $CO_2$ to H$_2$ gas. Densities of UO$_2$-Gd$_2$O$_3$ fuel pellets are quite dependent on powder types, and UO$_2$-Gd$_2$O$_3$ fuel using co-milled UO$_2$ powder yields the highest density. A long range homogeneity of Gd is determined by powder mixing. As the oxygen potential of sintered atmosphere increases, the sintered densities of UO$_2$-Gd$_2$O$_3$ pellets decrease but grain size increases. In addition, (U, Gd)O$_2$ solid solution becomes more homogeneous. The UO$_2$-Gd$_2$O$_3$fuel having adequate density and homogeneous microstructure can be fabricated by co-milling powder and by high oxygen potential.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.767-776
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• 1991

Effects of the additions of SiB4 as burnable poison to UO2 on the green density, densification, interdependence between density-grain growth and microstructure of sintered UO2 were studied. UO2 pellets were sintered in flowing hydrogen, at temperature 1200, 1350, 1500, and 168$0^{\circ}C$ for 3 hours and at 168$0^{\circ}C$ for 0, 1, 3, and 10 hours, respectively. Green densities were in the range of about 4.5~5.4 g/㎤, and decreased as the amount of SiB4 increased when green pellets were made by with use of a double action press at 1000 kg/$\textrm{cm}^2$. The density of sintered UO2 pellets was around 92~94% of the theoretical density and did not change significantly as the amount of SiB2 addition increased. However, the density of sintered pellets decreased with the increase in SiB4. The grain growth could be characterized in terms of two stages: Grain growth occurred with the increasing density in the first stage, whereas the second stage was characterized by the grain growth without increasing of density. A liquid phase was observed at grain boundaries and grain edges in the microstructure of sintered UO2 pellets with 5000 ppm and 10,000 ppm SiB4. This liquid, possible formed at about 168$0^{\circ}C$, did not enhance the shrinkage, but appeared to accelarate the grain growth. It seems that the second stage grain growth was due to the presence of pressurized insoluble trapped gas in isolated pores.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.559-568
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• 1998

Studies of preparation condition and characteristics of AUC(ammonium uranyl carbonate) were carried out to optimize AUC process with different reactor sizes and precipitation methos. As results four types of precipitates with different chemical compositions and morphologies were obtained from the reaction of {{{{ {(NH }_{4 }) { }_{2 } {CO }_{3 } }} with {{{{ {UO }_{2 }( {NO }_{3 }) { }_{2 } }} solution. A phase diagram has been made and crystal structure and chemical composition of each phase have been characterized by using SEM X-ray IR and thermal analysis. It was found that ammonium uranyl carbonate {{{{ {(NH }_{4 }) { }_{4 } {UO }_{2 } {(CO }_{3 }) { }_{3 } }} with monoclinic crystal morphology could be syn-thesized when the mole ratio of in {{{{ {(NH }_{4 }) { }_{2 } {CO }_{3 }/ {UO }_{2 } {(NO }_{3 }) { }_{2 } }} in the solution was higher than 5 Also a mechanism and a precipitating condition on rounding of the AUC particle were examined in the course of the AUC pre-cipitation. The rounding of the AUC particle was possible only by external circulation using pump not by internal circulation using agitator.

• Proceedings of the Korean Ceranic Society Conference
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• 2004.04b
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• pp.38.4-38.4
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• 2004

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 2009

The effects of thermal treatment conditions on ADU (ammonium diuranate) prepared by SOL-GEL method, so-called GSP (Gel supported precipitation) process, were investigated for $UO_2$ kernel preparation. In this study, ADU compound particles were calcined to $UO_3$ particles in air and Ar atmospheres, and these $UO_3$ particles were reduced and sintered in 4%-$H_2$/Ar. During the thermal calcining treatment in air, ADU compound was slightly decomposed, and then converted to $UO_3$ phases at $500^{\circ}C$. At $600^{\circ}C$, the $U_3O_8$ phase appeared together with $UO_3$. After sintering of theses particles, the uranium oxide phases were reduced to a stoichiometric $UO_2$. As a result of the calcining treatment in Ar, more reduced-form of uranium oxide was observed than that treated in air atmosphere by XRD analysis. The final phases of these particles were estimated as a mixture of $U_3O_7$ and $U_4O_9$.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.1013-1021
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• 2020

A combination of simultaneous thermal analysis, evolved gas analysis and non-ambient XRD techniques was used to characterise and investigate the conversion reactions of ammonium uranates into uranium oxides. Two solid phases of the ternary system NH₃ - UO₃ - H₂O were synthesised under specified conditions. Microspheres prepared by the sol-gel method via internal gelation were identified as 3UO₃·2NH₃·4H₂O, whereas the product of a typical ammonium diuranate precipitation reaction was associated to the composition 3UO₃·NH₃·5H₂O. The thermal decomposition profile of both compounds in air feature distinct reaction steps towards the conversion to U₃O₈, owing to the successive release of water and ammonia molecules. Both compounds are converted into α-U₃O₈ above 550 ℃, but the crystallographic transition occurs differently. In compound 3UO₃·NH₃·5H₂O (ADU) the transformation occurs via the crystalline β-UO₃ phase, whereas in compound 3UO₃·2NH₃·4H₂O (microspheres) an amorphous UO₃ intermediate was observed. The new insights obtained on these uranate systems improve the information base for designing and synthesising minor actinide-containing target materials in future applications.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.207-217
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• 2011

In this study the complex formation reactions between uranium(VI) and 2,6-dihydroxybenzoate (DHB) as a model ligand of humic acid were investigated by using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS). The analysis of the spectrophotometric data, i.e., absorbance changes at the characteristic charge-transfer bands of the U(VI)-DHB complex, indicates that both 1:1 and 1:2 (U(VI):DHB) complexes occur as a result of dual equilibria and their distribution varies in a pH-dependent manner. The stepwise stability constants determined (log $K_1$ and log $K_2$) are $12.4{\pm}0.1$ and $11.4{\pm}0.1$. Further, the TRLFS study shows that DHB plays a role as a fluorescence quencher of U(VI) species. The presence of both a dynamic and static quenching process was identified for all U(VI) species examined, i.e., ${UO_2}^{2+}$, $(UO_2)_2{(OH)_2}^{2+}$, and $(UO_2)_3{(OH)_5}^+$. The fluorescence intensity and lifetimes of each species were measured from the time-resolved spectra at various ligand concentrations, and then analyzed based on Stern-Volmer equations. The static quenching constants (log $K_s$) obtained are $4.2{\pm}0.1$, $4.3{\pm}0.1$, and $4.34{\pm}0.08$ for ${UO_2}^{2+}$, $(UO_2)_2{(OH)_2}^{2+}$, and $(UO_2)_3{(OH)_5}^+$, respectively. The results of Stern-Volmer analysis suggest that both mono- and bi-dentate U(VI)-DHB complexes serve as groundstate complexes inducing static quenching.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.279-288
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• 1993

A study on calcination and reduction of AUC(ammonium uranyl carbonate, (NH4)4UO2(CO3)3) has been carried out by using TG-DTA in N2, air and H2 atmospheres, respectively. Phases of various intermediate obtained during thermal analysis of AUC in different atmospheres were confirmed by XRD. Powder characteristics of each intermediate were investigated by measuring particle size and specific surface area, and also observed by SEM. As a results, regardless of applied atmosphere AUC was calcined into amorphous UO3, which was converted to $\alpha$-U3O8 Via $\alpha$-UO3 in both H2 and N2 atmosphere, but directly into $\alpha$-UO3 in air atmosphere. Further reduction of U3O8 was only detectable in hydrogen atmosphere. During calcination and reduction, average particle size was reduced to less than 30% of original value without morphology change. Specific surface area was dramatically increased with release of NH3, CO2 and H2O from AUC powder and reached maximum value around 25$0^{\circ}C$, and then gradually decreased with the increase of temperature due to sintering effect of uranium oxides such as UO3 and U3O8. It was also found that the change of average crystallite size and pore size were closely related to the changes of specific surface area of uranium oxides.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.132-136
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• 1972

The mechanism for activated sintering of UO$_2$by an addition of 0.05 w/o TiO$_2$was investigated using a high temperature X-ray diffractometer. The diffraction pattern of UO$_2$pellets was studied in a temperature range from room temperature to 120$0^{\circ}C$ in hydrogen atmosphere. At 120$0^{\circ}C$, the expansion of UO$_2$lattice were 1.448% and 1.354% greater when it was compared with those at room temperature for pellets with and without the 0.05 w/o TiO$_2$addition, respectively-The effect of the TiO$_2$addition is to increase the lattice constant of UO$_2$by 0.094% at 120$0^{\circ}C$. The lattice constant at 120$0^{\circ}C$without the TiO$_2$addition is equal to that at 108$0^{\circ}C$ with the 0.05 w/o TiO$_2$addition. This temperature difference could be well compared with the suppression of sintering temperature by TiO$_2$hat had been observed Previously. It is believed that the increase in lattice expansion due to the TiO$_2$addition would give rise to the activated sintering of UO$_2$by the lattice-expansion-induced-enhancement of self diffusion.