• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.105-114
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• 2004

This study investigated the thermal behavior of the nuclear graphite waste generated from the decommissioning of the Korean nuclear research reactor, The first part study investigated the decomposition rate of the nuclear graphite waste up to $1000^{\circ}C$ under various oxygen partial pressures using a thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA). Tested graphite waste sample not easily destroyed in the oxygen-deficient condition. However, the gas-solid oxidation reaction was found to be very effective in the presence of oxygen. No significant amount of the product of incomplete combustion was formed even in the limited oxygen concentration of 4% $O_2$. The influence of temperature and oxygen partial pressure was evaluated by the theoretical model analysis of the thermo-gravimetric data. The activation energy and the reaction order of graphite oxidation were evaluated as 128 kJ/mole and 1.1, respectively. The second part of this study investigated the behavior of radioactive elements under graphite oxidation atmosphere using thermodynamic equilibrium model. $^{22}Na$, $^{134}Cs$ and $^{137}Cs$ were found be the semi-volatile elements. Since volatile uranium species can be formulated at high temperatures above $1050^{\circ}C$, the temperature of incinerator furnace should be minimized. Other corrosion/activation products, fission products and uranium were found to be the non-volatile species.

• Journal of Institute of Convergence Technology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.47-50
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• 2014

Voloxidation is a process for converting $UO_2$ into $U_3O_8$ while removing some volatile products in spent fuels (SF). Various oxidative gas conditions including air and mixture of Ar and $O_2$ could be adopted for the process. The gas flows into a reactor under high temperature ($>500^{\circ}C$) and components of SF are reacted with the gas. SF is composed of various components such as actinides, lanthanides, and alkali metals. Therefore, it is of significance to understand their behavior during the reactions for process development. However, due to the limit of available experiments, phase diagram analysis should be preceded. TPP diagram is constructed with respect to temperature-pressure-pressure. It shows a stable phase depending on partial pressures of gas components as well as temperature. In this work, we investigated TPP diagrams for actinides, lanthanides and other oxides to determine stable oxide forms under different gas conditions. The results would be used to set up a material balance under a pyroprocessing scheme of SF and compare the gas conditions for the optimization of fission products removal.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.1892-1900
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• 2023

A protective oxide layer forms on the material surfaces of a Nuclear Power Plant during operation due to high temperature. These oxides can host radionuclides, the activated corrosion products of fission products, resulting in decommissioning workers' exposure. These deposited oxides are iron oxides such as Fe₃O₄, Fe₂O₃ and mixed ferrites such as nickel ferrites, chromium ferrites, and cobalt ferrites. Developing a new chemical decontamination technology for domestic CANDU-type reactors is challenging due to variations in oxide compositions from different structural materials in a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) system. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has already developed a chemical decontamination process for PWRs called 'HyBRID' (Hydrazine-Based Reductive metal Ion Decontamination) that does not use organic acids or organic chelating agents at all. As the first step to developing a new chemical decontamination technology for the Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) system, we investigated magnetite dissolution behaviors in various HyBRID inorganic acidic solutions to assess their applicability to the PHWR reactor system, which forms a thicker oxide film.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.27-39
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• 1996

The change in spent fuel characteristics by DUPIC fuel cycle(burnup of spent PWR fuel again in CANDU) is examined with time elapse since discharge. Major characteristics examined include isotopic concentration, radioactivity, decay heat radiotoxicity and radiation source-term of spent fuel material, which is existing in a type of spent PWR and DUPIC fuel. Behaviors of major nuclides contributing to such changes are also analyzed in terms of radionuclide concentration. From the analysis, the change in radionuclide concentration by DUPIC shows approximately 2% decrease in actinides concentration and 20% increase in fission products concentration. Radioactivity and decay heat of spent DUPIC fuel does not depend upon radionuclides concentrations, which is a unique in sence of general characteristics of spent fuel. In terms of gamma spectrum, spent DUPIC fuel shows lower values than that of spent PWR fuel by 40 to 50% in the range of $0.01{\sim}0.575$ MeV but much higher over 3.5MeV. Neutron Intensities of both spent fuels are mainly determined by $({\alpha},\;n)$ reaction and spontaneous fission reaction of actinides. Of them, especially, the spontaneous fission reaction Is a major neutron source-term, which causes that neutron intensities of spent DUPIC fuel $having{\sim}3.3$ times higher Cm-244 concentration are ${\sim}4$ times higher than that of spent PWR fuel.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.301-307
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• 2005

The morphology of the high burnup $UO_2$ spent fuel, which was oxidized and annealed in a PIA (Post Irradiation Annealing) apparatus, has been observed. The high burnup fuel irradiated in Ulchin Unit 2, average rod burnup 57,000 MWd/tU, was transported to the KAERI's PIEF. The test specimen was used with about 200 mg of the spent $UO_2$ fuel fragment of the local burnup 65,000 MWd/tU. This specimen was annealed at $1400^{\circ}C$ for 4hrs after the oxidation for 3hrs to grain boundary using the PIA apparatus in a hot-cell. In order to oxidize the grain boundary, the oxidation temperature increased up to $500^{\circ}C$ and held for 3hrs in the mixed gas (60 ml He and 100 ml STD-air) atmosphere. The amount of 85Kr during the whole test process was measured to know the fission gas release behavior using the online system of a beta counter and a gamma counter. The detailed micro-structure was observed by a SEM to confirm the change of the fuel morphology after this test. As the annealing temperature increased, the fission products were observed to move to the grain surface and grain boundary of the $UO_2$ matrix. This specimen was re-structured through the reduction process, and the grain sizes were distributed from 5 to $10\;{\mu}m$.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.279-298
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• 2019

This study comprehensively addresses recent progress at KAERI in waste treatment technology to cope with waste produced by pyroprocessing, which is used to effectively manage spent fuel. The goal of pyroprocessing waste treatment is to reduce final waste volume, fabricate durable waste forms suitable for disposal, and ensure safe packaging and storage. KAERI employs grouping of fission products recovered from process streams and immobilizes them in separate waste forms, resulting in product recycling and waste volume minimization. Novel aspects of KAERI approach include high temperature treatment of spent oxide fuel for the fabrication of feed materials for the oxide reduction process, and fission product concentration or separation from LiCl or LiCl-KCl salt streams for salt recycling and higher fission-product loading in the final waste form. Based on laboratory-scale tests, an engineering-scale process test is in progress to obtain information on the performance of scale-up processes at KAERI.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.217-221
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• 2011

$^{237}Np$ is very important material in the fission products of nuclear reactors. Resonance integral(RI) tests of this material is necessary to check between the experiments and the evaluated data. Such feedback to the evaluated data is very important to correct data and improve of codes. The RI for the $^{237}Np(n,{\gamma})^{238}Np$ reaction were measured by using the 46-MeV electron linear accelerator (linac) at the Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University (KURRI). The measurement was performed in the energy region from 0.005 eV and 10 keV. RI obtained as 804.7 barns, compared with those of the evaluated data in JENDL-4.0 and Mughabghab.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.829-831
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• 2003

Various theoretical studies of σ-bond activation of organic molecules by transition metal complexes arereviewed. In the homolytic σ-bond activation, the d orbital energy level of the central metal is an importantfactor, as well known. At the same time, the electron-withdrawing substituent which stabilizes the sp3 orbitalaccelerates the homolytic σ-bond activation. In the heterolytic C-H σ-bond activation of RH by $MXL_n$, the XHbond formation is an important driving force, where $MRL_n$ and HX are formed as products. The heterolytic σ-bond activation is also understood in terms of the electrophilic attack of the metal center to the substrate.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.397-398
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• 2004

It is important to estimate the radiation activity of the nuclear fuel which is a source term of the loss of coolant accident. The purpose of this study is to identify the most important parameters of the source term calculation based on three fuel types: typical natural uranium CANDU fuel, slightly enriched uranium and DUPIC fuel. The characteristics of the radiation source term were analyzed through sensitivity calculations of the linear power, fuel turnup, and the power shape.(omitted)

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.8
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• pp.1638-1649
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• 2020

In the case of a severe accident in a Light Water Reactor, the issue of late release of fission products, from the primary circuit surfaces is of particular concern due to the direct impact on the source term. CsI is the main iodine compound present in the primary circuit and can be deposited as particles or condensed species. Its chemistry can be affected by the presence of molybdenum, and can lead to the formation of gaseous iodine. The present work studied chemical reactions on the surfaces involving gaseous iodine release. CsI and MoO₃ were used to highlight the effects of carrier gas composition and oxygen partial pressure on the reactions. The results revealed a noticeable effect of the presence of molybdenum on the formation of gaseous iodine, mainly identified as molecular iodine. In addition, the oxygen partial pressure prevailing in the studied conditions was an influential parameter in the reaction.