• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2000

Recently, soil-bentonite mixtures are frequently used as impervious liners for waste disposal sites. In the present work, bentonite composite liner systems have been developed by utilizing Korean zeolitic bentonites. The geomechanical properties of the liner systems, such as strength hydraulic conductivity, etc. have also been studied. The laboratory and field test results showed that uniaxial strengths of the system were improved by addition of bentonite and CaO-based additive to the upper and lower layer of the liner systems, respectively. Hydraulic conductivity values measured on field liner systems showed less $1{\times}10^{-3}cm/s$, which is considered to be minimum regulation requirement for waste disposal sites.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.1511-1518
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• 2021

In most countries, the thermal criteria for the engineered barrier system (EBS) is set to below 100 ℃ due to the possible illitization in the buffer, which will likely be detrimental to the performance and safety of the repository. On the other hand, if the thermal criteria for the EBS increases, the disposal density and the cost-effectiveness for the high-level radioactive wastes will dramatically increase. Thus, fundamentals on the thermal behavior of the buffer under the elevated temperatures is of crucial importance. Yet, the behaviors at the elevated temperatures of the bentonite under groundwater-saturated conditions have not been reported to-date. Here, we have developed an in-situ synchrotron-based method for the thermal behavior study of the buffer under the elevated temperatures (25-250 ℃), investigated dspacings of the montmorillonite in the Korean bentonite (i.e., Ca-type) at dry and KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) groundwater-saturated conditions (KJ-ii-dry and KJ-ii-wet), and compared the behaviors with that of MX-80 (i.e., Na-type, MX-80-wet). The hydration states analyzed show tri-, bi-, and mono-hydrated at 25, 120, and 250 ℃, respectively for KJ-ii-wet, whereas tri-, mono-, and de-hydrated at 25, 150, and 250 ℃, respectively for MX-80-wet. The Korean bentonite starts losing the interlayered water at lower temperatures; however, holds them better at higher temperatures as compared with MX-80.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.89-102
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• 2012

The buffer and backfill are important components of the engineered barrier system in a high-level waste repository, which should be constructed in a hard rock formation at a depth of several hundred meters below the ground surface. The primary function of the buffer and backfill is to seal the underground excavation as a preferred flow path for radionuclide migration from the deposited high-level waste. This study investigates the hydraulic conductivity and swelling pressure of Kyungju Ca-bentonite, which is the candidate material for the buffer and backfill in the Korean reference high-level waste disposal system. The factors that influence the hydraulic conductivity and swelling pressure of the buffer and backfill are analyzed. The factors considered are the dry density, the temperature, the sand content, the salinity and the organic carbon content. The possibility of deterioration in the sealing performance of the buffer and backfill is also assessed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.894-900
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• 2021

This paper examines sorption of Pd(II) onto illite, MX-80 bentonite, and Queenston shale in Na-Ca-Cl solutions of varying ionic strength (IS) from 0.01 to 6.0 mol/L (M) and pH_c ranging from 3 to 9 under atmospheric conditions. A 2-site protolysis non-electrostatic surface complexation and cation exchange model was applied to the Pd sorption onto illite and MX-80 using PHREEQC, and the model results were compared to the experimental ones obtained in this work. Surface complexation and cation exchange constants were estimated for both illite and MX-80 through the optimization process to bring the predicted distribution coefficients from the model into alignment with the experimentally derived values. These optimized surface complexation constants were compared to existing linear free energy relationships (LFER).

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.141-158
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• 2004

The dependency of criteria used to terminate compatibility tests on the prehydration and quality of bentonite in geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) is evaluated based on permeation with chemical solutions containing 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 mM calcium chloride ($CaCl_2$). The hydraulic conductivity tests are not terminated before chemical equilibrium between the effluent and the influent chemistry has been established, resulting in test durations ranging from < 1 day to > 900 days, with longer test durations associated with lower $CaCl_2$ concentrations. The evaluation includes both physical termination criteria (i.e., volumetric flow ratio and steady hydraulic conductivity based on ASTM D 5084, ${\ge}2$ pore volumes of flow, constant thickness of specimen) and chemical termination criteria requiring equilibrium between influent and effluent chemistry (viz., electrical conductivity, pH, and $Ca^{2+}\;and\;Cl^-$ concentrations). For specimens permeated with 5, 10, and 20 mM $CaCl_2$ solutions, only the criterion based on chemical equilibrium in $Ca^{2+}$ concentration correlates well with equilibrium in hydraulic conductivity, regardless of prehydration or quality of bentonite. However, all of the termination criteria, except for the volumetric flow ratio and 2 pore volumes of flow for the prehydrated specimens, correlate well with equilibrium in hydraulic conductivity regardless of prehydration or quality of bentonite when permeated with 50 and 100 mM $CaCl_2$ solutions. The results illustrate the uniqueness of the termination criterion based on solute concentration equilibrium between the effluent and the influent with respect to both prehydration and quality of bentonite in the GCLs.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.456-464
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• 1991

To investigate the thermal effects on functional properties of domestic bentonite, XRD patterns, TG /DSC curves, swelling rates and distribution coefficients of heat-treated Dong-Hae A bentonite were studied. In the XRD patterns, (001) peak disappeared at above 20$0^{\circ}C$ and Dong-Hae A was identified as Ca-bentonite through the DSC curve. The loss of swelling capacity and CEC began at 10$0^{\circ}C$. The distribution coefficients of Am-241, Co-60 and Cs-137 onto heat-treated Dong-Hae A showed negligible variance as temperature was raised and that of Sr-85 decreased at about 15$0^{\circ}C$. Reviewing these data, it was evaluated that Dong-Hae A colud be used as a buffer material at below 10$0^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2013

The Geyoungju Ca-bentonite with dry density of 1.6 g/$cm^3$ has been considered as a standard buffer material for the disposal of high level waste in KAERI disposal system design. But it had relatively lower thermal conductivity compared with other surrounding materials, that was one of key parameters to limit the increase of the disposal density in the disposal system. In this study, various additives were selected and mixed with the Ca-bentonite in different mixing methods in order to increase the thermal conductivity from 0.8 W/mK to 1.0 W/mK. As an additive, CNT (Cabon Nano Tube), graphite, alumina, CuO, and $Fe_2O_3$ were selected, which are chemically stable and have good thermal conductivity. As mixing methods, dry hand-mixer mixing, wet milling and dry ball mill mixing were applied for the mixing. Above all, the ball mill mixing was proved to be most effective since the produced mixture was most homogeneous and showed higher increase in the thermal conductivity. From this study, it was confirmed that the thermal conductivity for the Geyoungju Ca-bentonite could be improved by adding small amount of highly thermal conductive material to 1.0 W/mk. In conclusion, it was believed that the experimental results will be valuable in the disposal system design if the additive effects on the swelling and permeability on the compact bentonite are also approved in further studies.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.177-181
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• 2005

Yellowish uranium compounds were enriched at the interface between a Ca-bentonite block and a waste glass, containing about $20\%$ uranium oxide, in contact with the block due to the dissolution of uranium by a synthetic granitic groundwater in Ar atmosphere. The uranium compound formed for 6 years leach time was identified as a beta-uranophane $[Ca(UO_2)_2(SiO_{3}OH)_{2}5H_{2}O]$ using XRD, IR and mass spectrometer. The solubility of the beta-uranophane was measured to be about $10^{-6}\;mole/L$ in de-mineralized water at $80^{\circ}C$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.02a
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• pp.73-82
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• 2004

This paper studies the leaching behaviors of pyrochlore-rich synroc incorporated 46.8wt% simulated actinides waste under the five simulated geological disposal media, which included the bentonite, granite, granite ＋ ferroferric oxide, granite ＋ cement, bentonite ＋ ferroferric oxide, respectively. The mass loss rates reached to equilibrium after 182 day and was 10-7 g/$\textrm{mm}^2{\cdot}d$. That suggests the mass loss rate of pyrochlore-rich synroc, loaded 46.8wt% actinides waste, was very low. The surfaces of the leached specimens were analyzed by XRD, SEM/EDS. The experimental results show that the pyrochlore-rich synroc samples in the systems, which contained bentonite and cement, have two new phases formed on the leached specimens surface at $90^{\circ}C$ for 728d; The bentonite and cement can retard the elements leaching; $Fe_3O_4$ can speed the elements leaching; Expect for Ti ion depleted on the sample surface, other ion, such as U, Zr, AI, Ca, were in equable states and Ba ion was enriched during test time, which indicated the simulated disposal media have good ability to retard the leaching behavior of the pyrochlore-rich synroc.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.121-128
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• 1996

A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplementing MAXIMINERAL(72)(MM), a cornmercial product of Ca, Mg-bentonite, to the broiler diet. One thousand hatched rnale broiler chickens(Cobb strain) were randomly assigned to 4 dietary treatments; MM 0% (control), MM 1%, MM 2%, and MM 2% + tricalciurnphosphate (CaP) 0.5%. Each treatment had 5 replicates of 50 birds each. Birds were grown on floor and fed ad libitum for 5 wk. Through the whole period, weight gain and feed intake were not significantly different among treatments. However, weight gain of MM 2% + CaP 0.5% group was highest and orthogonal contrast showed that the feed intake during the period of 0~2 wk was significantly(p<0.01) lower in MM supplemented groups than the control. Feed efficiency (feed /gain) of MM supplemented groups were significantly better than the control. Feed efficiency of the control was significantly(p<0.05) higher than MM 1% and MM 2% + CaP 0.5% groups but not different from MM 2% group. Contents of ash, Ca and P of tibia were not significantly different among treatments but that of P tended to be low in MM 1% and MM 2% groups. There were significant (p<0.01) differences in plasma alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity among treatments. The highest AP activity was shown in MM 2% + CaP 0.5% group followed by the control, MM 2% and MM 1% group. It was concluded that supplernentation of MM at the level of 1% of broiler diet significantly improves feed efficiency and adjustment of P level rnay further improve the performance of the broiler chickens.