• 한국재료학회지
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• 제26권12호
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• pp.681-687
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• 2016

Zirconium(Zr) nuclear fuel cladding tubes are made using a three-time pilgering and annealing process. In order to remove the oxidized layer and impurities on the surface of the tube, a pickling process is required. Zr is dissolved in HF and $HNO_3$ mixed acid during the process and pickling waste acid, including dissolved Zr, is totally discarded after being neutralized. In this study, the waste acid was recycled by adding $BaF_2$, which reacted with the Zr ion involved in the waste acid; $Ba_2ZrF_8$ was subsequently precipitated due to its low solubility in water. It is very difficult to extract zirconium from the as-recovered $Ba_2ZrF_8$ because its melting temperature is $1031^{\circ}C$. Hence, we tried to recover Zr using an electrowinning process with a low temperature molten salt compound that was fabricated by adding $ZrF_4$ to $Ba_2ZrF_8$ to decrease the melting point. Change of the Zr redox potential was observed using cyclic voltammetry; the voltage change of the cell was observed by polarization and chronopotentiometry. The structure of the electrodeposited Zr was analyzed and the electrodeposition characteristics were also evaluated.

• 자원리싸이클링
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.29-37
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• 2017

핵연료 피복관은 필거링 및 열처리 공정에 의해 제조되며, 핵연료 피복관 표면의 불순물 및 산화층을 제거하기 위해 산세 공정이 진행된다. 산세 공정 중 산세 용액으로 지르코늄이 용해되어 포화상태가 될 시 폐 산세 용액은 전량 폐기 되며 용액 내 지르코늄 또한 폐기된다. 그러므로 지르코늄을 재활용하기 위해 $BaF_2$를 폐 산세 용액에 첨가하여 공침 반응에 의해 $Ba_2ZrF_8$을 형성시켰다. 한편, 전해제련을 통해 Zr을 회수하기 위해서는 $Ba_2ZrF_8$을 전해질로 사용해야하지만, 용융점이 $1053^{\circ}C$로 높다. 따라서 $ZrF_4$를 첨가하여 용융점을 낮추어야한다. 본 연구에서는 $Ba_2ZrF_8$을 진공 증류를 통해 $BaF_2$ 및 $ZrF_4$로 분리하는 연구를 진행하였다. 먼저, $BaF_2$ 입자크기($1{\mu}m$, $35{\mu}m$, $110{\mu}m$)에 따른 침전 특성을 실험하였다. 그리고 진공 증류를 통해 수득된 $BaF_2$를 볼밀링을 통해 분쇄하였으며, 침전 공정을 거치지 않은 $BaF_2$와 침전 효율을 비교하였다.