• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.533-541
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• 2020

UO₂ kernels, a key component of fuel elements for high temperature gas cooled reactors, have usually been prepared by sol-gel methods. Sol-gel processes have a number of advantages, such as simple processes and facilities, and higher sphericity and density. In this study, to produce 900 ㎛-sized UO₂ particles using an external gelation process, contact length extension of the NH₃ gas of the broth droplets pass and the improvement of the gelation device capable of spraying 14 M-NH₄OH solution are used to form 3,000 ㎛-sized liquid droplets. To produce high-sphericity and high-density UO₂ particles, HMTA, which promotes the gelation reaction in the uranium broth solution, is added to diffuse ammonium ions from the outside of the gelation solution during the aging process and generate ammonium ions from the inside of the ADU gel particles. Sufficient gelation inside of ADU gel particles is achieved, and the density of the UO₂ spheres that undergo the subsequent treatment is 10.78 g/㎤; the sphericity is analyzed and found to be 0.948, indicating good experimental results.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.11 s.282
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• pp.729-736
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• 2005

HTGR (High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor) is spotlighted to next generation nuclear power plant for producing the clean hydrogen gas and the electricity. In this study, the spherical $UO_3$ gel particles were prepared by the external gelation process, and the characteristics of these particles were analyzed the particle shape, composition of precipitate, and thermal decomposition characteristics with the Streoscope, FT-IR, and X-ray diffractometer. Raw material of the ADUN (Acid Deficient Uranyl Nitrate) solution, which has [$NO_3$]/[U] mole ratio = 1.75, was obtained from dissolution of the $U_{3}O_{8}$ powder with concentrated $HNO_3$, and its concentration is 3.5 M-U/l. The broth solution is prepared with the ADUN, urea, PVA, and THFA solution. The droplets of the broth solution was made through a nozzle system. From this study, we obtained the following results; 1) an externel chemical gelation process is a suitable method in the spherical $UO_3$ particle production, 2) the particle shape are changed by an urea mixing time, THFA volume, and the viscosity of the broth solution, 3) the amorphous $UO_3$ particles obtained from these experiments was converted to $U_{3}O_{8}$ and then $UO_2$ by heat treatment in hydrogen atmosphere at $600^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.254-261
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• 2009

In this study, we investigated the unit process parameters in spherical $UO_2$ kernel preparation. Nearly perfect spherical $UO_3$ microspheres were obtained from the 0.6M of U-concentration in the broth solution, and the microstructure of the $UO_2$ kernel appeared the good results in the calcining, reducing, and sintering processes. For good sphericity, high density, suitable microstructure, and no-crack final $UO_2$ microspheres, the temperature control range in calcination process was $300{\sim}450^{\circ}C$, and the microstructure, the pore structure, and the density of $UO_2$ kernel could be controlled in this temperature range. Also, the concentration changes of the ageing solution in aging step were not effective factor in the gelation of the liquid droplets, but the temperature change of the ageing solution was very sensitive for the final ADU gel particles.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.165-170
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• 2013

An external gelation method in place of an internal gelation method applied to the fabrication process of an intermediated compound of Uranium Oxy-Carbide (UCO) kernel spheres for Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) fuel preparation is under development in Korea. For the preliminary experiments of the UCO kernel sphere preparation using an external gelation method, the carbon black dispersion experiments were carried out using a simulated broth solution. From the selection experiments of various kinds of carbon black through dispersion experiments in a viscous metal salt solution, Cabot G carbon black was selected owing to its dispersion stability, and the homogeneous dispersing state of carbon black particles in our system. For the effective dispersion of nano-size aggregated carbon black particles in a high viscous liquid, the carbon black particles in a metal salt solution were first de-aggregated with ultrasonic force. The mixed solution was then dispersed secondly by the use of the extremely high-speed agitation with a mechanical mixer of 6000 rpm after feeding the Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) in the solution. This results in the broth solution with good stability and homogeneity alongside no further changes in physical properties.