• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2024

During the dismantling of nuclear facilities, a large quantity of radioactive concrete is generated and chelating agents are required for the decontamination process. However, disposing of environmentally persistent chelated wastes without eliminating the chelating agents might increase the rate of radionuclide migration. This paper reports a rapid and straightforward ion chromatography method for the quantification of citric acid (CA), a commonly used chelating agent. The findings demonstrate acceptable recovery yields, linearities, and reproducibilities of the simulated samples, confirming the validity of the proposed method. The selectivity of the proposed method was confirmed by effectively separating CA from gluconic acid, a common constituent in concretes. The limits of detection and quantification of the method were 0.679 and 2.059 mg·L^-1, respectively, while the recovery yield, indicative of the consistency between theoretical and experimental concentrations, was 85%. The method was also employed for the quantification of CA in a real concrete sample. These results highlight the potential of this approach for CA detection in radioactive concrete waste, as well as in other types of nuclear wastes.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.516-522
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• 2023

The co-precipitation process plays a key role in the decontamination of radionuclides from low and intermediate levels of liquid waste. For that reason, the removal of Cs ions from waste solution by the co-precipitation method was carried out. A simulated liquid waste (¹³³Cs) was prepared from a 0.1 M CsCl solution, while wastewater generated by washing steel ash served as a representative of radioactive cesium solution (¹³⁷Cs). By co-precipitation, potassium ferrocyanide was applied for the adsorption of Cs ions, while nickel nitrate and iron sulfate were selected for supporting the precipitation. The amount of residual Cs ions in the CsCl solution after precipitation and filtration was determined by ICP-OES, while the radioactivity of ¹³⁷Cs was measured using a gamma-ray spectrometer. After cesium removal, the amount of cesium appearing in both XRD and SEM-EDS was analyzed. The removal efficiency of ¹³³Cs was 60.21% and 51.86% for nickel nitrate and iron sulfate, respectively. For the ash-washing solution, the removal efficiency of ¹³⁷Cs was revealed to be more than 99.91% by both chemical agents. This implied that the co-precipitation process is an excellent strategy for the effective removal of radioactive cesium in waste solution treatment.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.8-10
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• 1997

In recent years, the metal industry has become increasingly aware of an unwanted component in metal scrap-radioactive material. Worldwide, there have 38 instances where radioactive sources were unintentionally smelted in the course of recycling metal scrap. In some cases contaminated metal consumer products were distributed internationally. U.S. mill that have smelted a radioactive source face costs resulting from decontamination, waste disposal, and lost profits that range from 7 to 23 million U.S. dollars for each case. Despite radiation monitoring system does not provide 100% protection, POSCO has developed the system for the first time in the steel industry of KOREA.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.149-158
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• 2011

Metal waste generated from the pyroprocessing of 10 MtU of spent fuel was classified by comparing the specific activity of a relevant radionuclide with the limit value of the specific activity specified in the Korean acceptance criteria for a lowand intermediate-level waste repository. A Korean Optimized Fuel Assembly design with a 17${\times}$17 array, an initial enrichment of 4.5 weight-percent, discharge burn-up of 55 GWD/MtU, and a 10-year cooling time was considered. Initially, the mass and volume of each structural component of the assembly were calculated in detail, and a source term analysis was subsequently performed using ORIGEN-S for these components. An activation cross-section library generated by the KENO-VI/ORIGEN-S module was utilized for top-end and bottom-end pieces. As a result, an Inconel grid plate, a SUS plenum spring, a SUS guide tube subpart, SUS top-end and bottom-end pieces, and an Inconel top-end leaf spring were determined to be unacceptable for the Gyeongju low- and intermediate-level waste repository, as these waste products exceeded the acceptance criteria. In contrast, a Zircaloy grid plate and guide tube can be placed in the Gyeongju repository. Non-contaminated Zircaloy cladding occupying 76% of the metal waste was found to have a lower level of specific activity than the limit value. However, Zircaloy cladding contaminated by fission products and actinides during the decladding process of pyroprocessing was revealed to have 52 and 2 times higher specific activity levels than the limit values for alpha and $^{90}Sr$, respectively. Finally, it was found that 88.7% of the metal waste from the 17${\times}$17 Korean Optimized Fuel Assembly design should be disposed of in a deep geological repository. Therefore, it can be summarized that separation technology with a higher decontamination factor for transuranics and strontium should be developed for the efficient management of metal waste resulting from pyroprocessing.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.327-334
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• 1992

As a promising method for the volume reduction of the low-level liquid waste, the pervaporation process was studied using a cellulose acetate membrane. Experimental results showed that the pervaporation method, usually applied to separation of organic materials, has a good decontamination effect for the volume reduction of liquid waste and the evaporation rate of water in this process was markedly faster than that of natural evaporation method, a wide-used process for the volume reduction of liquid waste. Depending on the feed solution conditions, the pervaporation characteristics were evaluated by the experimental results and the optimum conditions for preparation of the cellulose acetate membrane were established to increase the pervaporation flux through the membrane.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2024

In 2017, a decision was made to permanently shut down Kori Unit 1, and preparations began to be made for its decontamination and decommissioning. The dismantling of the biological shields concrete, reactor vessel (RV), and reactor vessel internals (RVI) is crucial to the nuclear decommissioning process. These components were radiologically activated by the neutron activation reaction occurring in the reactor during its operational period. Because of the radioactivity of the RV and RVI of Kori Unit 1, remotely controlled systems were developed for cutting within the cavity to reduce radiation exposure. Specialized equipment was developed for underwater cutting operations. This paper focuses on modeling related to RVI operations using the MAVRIC code and the dose calculation for a diver entering the cavity. The upper and lower parts of the RVI are classified as low-level radioactive waste, while the sides that came into contact with the fuel are classified as intermediate-level radioactive waste. Therefore, the modeling presented in this paper only considers the RVI sides because the upper and lower parts have a minimal impact on the radiation exposure. These research findings are anticipated to contribute to enhancing the efficiency and safety of nuclear reactor decommissioning operations.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1601-1608
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• 2015

This study evaluates heavy metal(Cu and Cr) adsorption characteristics produced from food waste charcoal extracted in an optimal operation condition after analyzing activated charcoal of iodine adsorption and heavy metals that derived from an activation process of carbide by the developed by-products of food waste treatment facility using the methods from previous studies. As experiment apparatus, this study used a tube-shaped high temp furnace. The mixing ratio of by-products of food waste treatment facility, carbide, and activation component($ZnCl_2$) was 1:1. The experiment was proceeded as adjusting the activation temperature from 400 to $800^{\circ}C$ and activation time from 30 to 120 minutes. The optimal activation condition for iodine absorption was 90 minutes at $700^{\circ}C$ and by using the produced food waste charcoal, this study conducted an experiment on absorption of heavy metals (Cu and Cr) as changing pH of artificial wastewater and stirring time. As a result, pH 7 showed the highest heavy metal decontamination ratio and in terms of stirring time, it revealed balance adsorption after 10 minutes. This result can be particularly applied as basic data for recyclability of high concentration organic waste, by-products of food waste treatment facility, as an food waste charcoal.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.377-387
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• 2018

Korea's first commercial nuclear power plant, Kori Unit 1, was permanently shut down on June 18, 2017, after 40 years of successful operation. Kori Unit 1 plans to construct a waste treatment facility in the turbine building prior to commencement of dismantling in earnest. Various radioactive wastes are decontaminated, disassembled, cut and melted in the waste treatment facility and sent to the radioactive waste repository. The proportion of metal radioactive waste in dismantled waste is about 70%, of which large metal radioactive waste is mainly generated in the primary circuit and has high radioactivity, so radiation exposure must be managed during disassembly. In this study, the steam generators are selected as large metal radioactive waste, the exposure doses of the dismantling workers are calculated using RESRAD-RECYCLE code and the methods for reducing the exposure doses are suggested.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.227-235
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• 2024

After the permanent shut down of Kori Unit 1, various decommissioning activities will be implemented, including decontamination, segmentation, waste management, and site restoration. During the decommissioning period, waste management is among the most important activities to ensure that the process proceeds smoothly and within the expected timeframe. Furthermore, the radioactive waste generated during the operation should be sent to a disposal facility to complete the decommissioning project. Square and cylindrical concrete re-package drums were generated during the 1980s and 1990s. The square, containing boron concentrates, and cylindrical, containing spent resin, concrete re-package drums have been stored in a radioactive waste storage building. Homogeneous radioactive waste, including boron concentrates, spent resin, and sludge, should be solidified or packaged in high-integrity containers (HICs). This study investigates the sequential segmentation process for the separation of contaminated and non-contaminated regions, the re-packaging process of segmented or crushed cement-solidified boron concentrate, and re-packaging in HICs. The conceptual design evaluates the re-packaging plan for the segmented and crushed cement-solidified waste using HICs, which is acceptable in a disposal facility, and the quantity of generated HICs from the treatment process.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.02a
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• pp.182-190
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• 2004

An unique extraction chromatographic column (TOA: Tri-n-octylamine on Teflon powder) with a two-stage sample loading was prepared to separate Np and Pu from the environmental matrix. Np and Pu were efficiently retained in 4 M $HNO_3$ medium on the column and easily eluted with 0.02 M oxalic acid in 0.16 M HNO$_3$at $95^{\circ}C$. The separated solutions were free from most of the matrix elements and were aspirated into the ICP-MS directly. The decontamination factor for 238U is more than 104. The instrumental detection limit for 237Np was 0.46 pg mL-l ($1.2{\times}10_{-5}$Bq mL-l), and for 239Pu was 0.48 pg mL-l ($1.1{\times}10_{-3}$ Bq mL-l). The feasibility for the determination of both elements was proved by analysing IAEA-135 reference samples, the measured values agreed with the recommended reference value.