• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.346-346
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• 2009

산화물 형태 사용후핵연료의 효율적 처분 혹은 재활용을 위한 연구 가운데, 고온의 LiCl 용융염 중에서 전해환원하여 금속으로 환원시킨 후, 환원된 금속을 고온의 LiCl-KCl 용융염에서 전해정련하는 연구가 국내외적으로 활발하게 진행되고 있다. 전해환원을 위해 일정 농도 $Li_2O$가 LiCl 용융염에 첨가되며 $Li_2O$ 농도가 높으면 반응 재질의 부식성이 크게 증가하므로 일반적으로 우라늄 산화물은 1wt% 이하의 $Li_2O$ 농도에서 전해환원 된다. 우라늄 산화물의 전해환원 전위는 $Li_2O$의 전해환원 전위 보다 표준 상태를 기준으로 공정온도인 650 $^{\circ}C$ 에서 약 70 mV 정도 낮기 때문에 전해환원 과정에서 $Li_2O$ 의 환원으로 Li 금속이 생성될 가능성이 있으며 우라늄 산화물은 대부분 직접 전해환원 되지만 일부 Li에 의해 화학적으로 환원되기도 한다. 전해환원 공정에서 환원되지 않은 희토류 산화물은 전해정련 공정에서 $UCl_3$와 반응하여 $UO_2$를 생성시켜 공정 효율을 떨어뜨린다. 따라서 전해환원 공정에서 가능하연 최대한 희토류 산화물을 금속으로 환원시키는 조건을 찾아내는 것이 바람직하고 이를 위해서 우선 전해환원 공정에서 희토류 산화물의 화학적 거동의 이해가 요구된다. 본 연구에서 열역학적 검토를 통하여 희토류 산화물의 환원 조건을 조사한 결과 희토류 산화물은 매운 낮은 $Li_2O$ 농도에서 Li에 의해 환원되고, 1wt% 이하의 $Li_2O$ 농도에서는 Sc와 Lu의 산화물이 $Li_2O$와 복합산화물을 형성하고 이들 복합산화물은 Li에 의해 환원되지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 희토류 원소 별로 희토류 원소 산화물의 Li에 의한 환원 조건으로서 평형상태에서의 $Li_2O$ 농도 즉 환원 임계 $Li_2O$ 농도를 실험적으로 측정하였으며 1wt% $Li_2O$ 농도 이하에서 열역학적 해석과 동일하게 Sc와 Lu만이 복합산화물을 형성하여 Li에 의해 직접환원 되지 않는 것으로 관찰되었다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.548-551
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• 1993

A simple and new uranium analysis technique for raffinate solution of nuclear fuel conversion process was developed using a time-resolved laser-induced fluorimetry. The addition of 4 M-phosphoric acid more than 10 times in volume to the raffinate sample was found to be efficient for obtaining stable uranium fluorescence signal which was not influenced by many fluorescence quenchers. A calibration curve of a good linearity for the fluorescence intensity vs. the uranium concentration was obtained at the range of 3.0$\times$10$^{-6}$－6.0$\times$10$^{-5}$ M U $O_2$$^{2＋}$ in the raffinate samples.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.425-432
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• 1994

Voltammogram analysis of U(VI) reduction at electrochemically non-pretreated/pretreated Ti electrodes in nitric acid and hydrazine($N_2$H$_4$)/protonated hydrazine($N_2$H$_{5}$$^{＋}$) media was done in order to determine the effect of hydrazine form and Ti electrode condition on the reduction of U(VI) in nitric acid. In the case of non-pretreated Ti electrode, the reduction in nitric acid and hydrazine mono-hydrate solution needed a high activation overpotential and was affected by the ratio of hydrazine to nitric acid rather than by only absolute amount of hydrazine because of the decrease of solution conductivity and increase of iR drop, which were caused by proton consumption in the solution by the hydrazine. In the case of pretreated Ti electrode in nitric acid and protonated hydrazine solution, the reduction current peaks of U(VI) were clearer and higher enough to perform a kinetic analysis, compared with the case with the non-pretreated Ti electrode at the same potential, and the behavior was strongly affected by nitric acid. The presence of hydrazine was important in the reduction of U(VI) at the pretreated Ti electrode for preventing the reoxidation of U(IV), but the concentration of protonated hydrazine was not.t.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1989

In order to evalulate the cause of polyuric acute tubular necrosis, we measured electrolytes, $Na^{+}\;and\;K^{+}$ excreted in urine, and activities of $Na^{+}-K^{+}$adenosine triphosphatase ($Na^{+}-K^{+}$ATPase) Excretion of $Na^{+}\;and\;K^{+}$ significantly increased in 24hr exposure on the uranyl nitrate and then decreased below the normal level after 3 days. The concentration of $Na^{+}\;and\;K^{+}$ in urines of the rats treated uranyl nitrate was less than that of the normal rats. The activities of $Na^{+}-K^{+}$ATPase decreased only in the group treated with high dose group of uranyl nitrate (30mg/kg BW) on the 3rd day but were not changed in the low dose groups(5 mg/kg BW and 15mg/kg BW).

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.426-430
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• 2003

Fissionable uranium will be separated from long-lived nuclear materials in pyroprocess for transmutation. This study was measured decomposition voltage and deposition rate on cathode of uranium in $LiF-BeF_2$ molten salt by electrowinning. The result of experimental is that decomposition voltage of $UF_4$ and $LiF-BeF_2$ molten salt is -1.4 and -1.5 volt at $500^{\circ}C$ Deposition rate of uranium on cathode increases with increase of uranium concentration in molten salt.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.289-302
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• 2023

The study area was Gangnim-myeon, Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon-do, composed of the Chiaksan gneiss complex, and it was revealed that the concentrations of uranium (U) and thorium (Th) within the groundwater of the study area exceeded their water quality standards. Hence, artificial weathering experiments were conducted to elucidate mineralogically the mechanisms of their leaching using drilling cores obtained from the corresponding groundwater aquifers. First of all, the mineralogical compositions of core samples were observed, and the results indicated that the content of clinochlore, a member of the chlorite group of minerals that can form through low- and intermediate-temperature metamorphisms, was relatively higher. In addition, the Th concentration was measured ten times higher than that of U. The results of artificial weathering experiments suggested that the Th concentrations gradually increased through the dissolution of radioactive-element-bearing minerals up to the first day, and then they tended to decrease. It could be attributed to the fact that Th was leached with the dissolution of thorite, which might be a secondary mineral, and then dissolved Th was re-precipitated as the various forms of salt, such as sulfate. Even though the U content was lower than that of Th in the core samples, the U concentration was one hundred times higher than that of Th after the weathering experiments. It is likely caused by the gradual dissolution and desorption of U included in intensively weathered thorite or adsorbed as a form of UO₂²⁺ on the mineral surface. In addition, the leaching tendency of U and Th was positively correlated with the bicarbonate concentration. However, the concentrations between U and Th in groundwater exhibited a relatively lower correlation, which might result from the fact that they occurred from different sources, as aforementioned. Among various kinetic models, the parabolic diffusion and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were confirmed to best fit the dissolution kinetics of both elements. The period that would be taken for the U concentration to exceed its drinking-water standard was inferred using the regressed parameters of the best-fitted models, and the duration of 29.4 years was predicted in the neutral-pH aquifers with relatively higher concentrations of HCO₃, indicating that U could be relatively quickly leached out into groundwater.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.210-214
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• 1998

In general the concentration of uranium in natural water such as fresh water and sea water is in the range of 0.01∼5 ppb, therefore trace analytical technique is required. The aim of present work is to compare a direct and preconcentration methods by evaporation and to investigate rapid and accurate trace analysis of uranium in groundwater using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) which are sensitive and nondestructive method. Identification of analytical procedure was carried out using uranium standard solution of the range of 0.5∼100 ppb. In the given concentration, the deviation of calibration curve was less than 2%, and the standard deviation of measured values at each concentration was the range of 2∼12%. The difference of U content with sampling time for the same sample site was about 10.3%. Using this established method, the concentrations of uranium in samples collected at the 17 spring of Choongchung areas were found to be in the range of 1∼80 ppb.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.189-214
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• 2000

Three study areas of Kwanak campus(Seoul National University), Gapyung and Boeun were selected and classified according to bedrock types in order to investigate soil-gas radon concentrations. Several soil-gas samples showed relatively high radon concentrations in the residual soils which derived from granite bedrock. It also showed that water content of soil and the degree of radioactivity disequilibrium was a secondary factor governing radon emanation and distribution of radon radioactivity. The results of radon concentrations and working levels for forty rooms in Kwanak campus, Seoul National University, showed that indoor basement rooms under poor ventilation condition can be classified as high radon risk zone having more than EPA guideline(4 pCi/L). Some results of section analysis which was surveyed in the fault zone of Kyungju and Gapyung area confirmed the existence of fault-associated radon anomalies with a meaning of radon risk zone.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.51-61
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• 2009

This study was performed to research the characteristic of radionuclides of 80 groundwater monitoring networks in Busan. According to the research, average concentration of Uranium was $4.33\;{\mu}g/L$, maximum concentration of Uranium was $171.55\;{\mu}g/L$ among the 80 sampling sites. One sample exceeded the Proposal standard of drinking water in USA in Uranium ($30\;{\mu}g/L$) and four samples exceeded the recommendatory value of WHO about Uranium ($15\;{\mu}g/L$). Radon and gross-$\alpha$ concentration of all samples were far less than the Proposal standard of drinking water in USA. In this study average concentration of radionuclides in underground water wasn't too high, but needed to control the concentration of them to prevent exposure to the people. And it needs to be taken measures in some sites with high concentration of Uranium by closing the pipe line or etc through more studies.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2002

A mineralogical study was made in order to identify the relationship between uranium content in groundwater and rock chemistry using core rocks recovered from the drilling holes for wells in the Daebo Granite areas. Uraniferous minerals are of primary origin and occur as inclusions in accessory minerals such as zircon, monazite, and xenotime. Since the uraniferous minerals are very small to be 1 ~ 2 $\mu$m in size, it is difficult to distinguish their mineralogical species precisely. The frequent presence of dissolution cavities or dissolved textures in the accessory minerals suggests that uraniferous minerals dissolved partially and contributed to the groundwater chemistry. Because there is no clear relationship between host rocks and groundwater for uranium concentration, mineralogical characteristics of uraniferous minerals, together with aqueous geochemical conditions favorable for uranium dissolution, could play important roles in groundwaster chemistry.