• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.313-317
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• 2018

Licenses for the storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and vitrified highly active waste in casks under dry conditions are limited to 40 years and have to be renewed for prolonged storage periods. If such a license renewal has to be expected since as in accordance with the new site selection procedure a final repository for spent fuel in Germany will not be available before the year 2050. For transport and possible unloading and loading in new casks for final storage, the integrity and the maintenance of the geometry of the cask's inventory is essential because the SNF rod cladding and the cladding of the vitrified highly active waste are stipulated as a barrier in the storage concept. For SNF, the cladding integrity is ensured currently by limiting the hoop stress and hoop strain as well as the maximum temperature to certain values for a 40-year storage period. For a prolonged storage period, other cladding degradation mechanisms such as inner and outer oxide layer formation, hydrogen pick up, irradiation damages in cladding material crystal structure, helium production from alpha decay, and long-term fission gas release may become leading effects driving degradation mechanisms that have to be discussed.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.437-445
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• 2019

After the permanent shutdown of K1 in 2017, decommissioning processes have attracted great attention. According to the current decommissioning roadmap, the dismantling of the activated components of K1 may start in 2026, following the removal of its spent fuel. Since the reactor vessel (RV) and reactor vessel internal (RVI) of K1 contain massive components and are relatively highly activated, their decommissioning process should be conducted carefully in terms of radiological and industrial safety. For achieving maximum efficiency of nuclear waste management processes for K1, we present activation analysis of the segmentation process and waste classification of the RV and RVI components of K1. For RVI, the active fuel regions and some parts of the upper and lower active regions are classified as intermediate-level waste (ILW), while other components are classified as low-level waste (LLW). Due to the RVI's complex structure and high activation, we suggest various underwater segmentation techniques which are expected to reduce radiation exposure and generate approximately nine ILW and nineteen very low level waste (VLLW)/LLW packages. For RV, the active fuel region and other components are classified as LLW, VLLW, and clearance waste (CW). In this case, we suggest in-situ remote segmentation in air, which is expected to generate approximately forty-two VLLW/LLW packages.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.203-212
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• 1979

The thermal decomposition of simulated Magnox highly active waste and of HARVEST feed slurries (SW and SG) which include tile glass forming chemicals has been studied. The waste and the slurries are almost completely calcined by 500-55$0^{\circ}C$. The colour of the solids from the slurries varies little until about 90$0^{\circ}C$ when it darkens considerably. The slurries begin to vitrify at this temperature and are completely vitrified at 1000-105$0^{\circ}C$. On the other hand. the sulphate impurity in SN slurry causes a yellow phase to separate above 75$0^{\circ}C$. The density of the intermediate solids is fairly low until 650$^{\circ}$-$700^{\circ}C$ is reached. This temperature seems to mark the onset of fluxing as tile density rises quickly to 2g/㎤ at 700$^{\circ}$ -80$0^{\circ}C$. The strengh of the solids decreases with temperature up to 50$0^{\circ}C$, and then rises as the solids begin to sinter. Below 50$0^{\circ}C$ the SN solids are the stronger. suggesting that the impurity renders this silica more reactive.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.211-222
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• 1977

The decomposition of all the individual chemicals used in the Harwell inactive vitrification pilot plant has been studied by means of a thermal balance. Weight loss curves to 110$0^{\circ}C$ have been obtained. The four materials (sodium nitrate, cesium nitrate, lithium nitrate and ruthenium nitroso-nitrate solution) showed a greater weight loss than that based on an oxide yield, and hence these compounds of their products of decomposition are volatile below 110$0^{\circ}C$. The remaining materials suffered a weight loss no more than that corresponding to a full yield of the oxide, and hence they were not volatile below 110$0^{\circ}C$. Most of chemicals begin to decompose at less than 75$^{\circ}C$ but the nitrates of cesium, strontium, barium and sodium not until 295$^{\circ}C$ to 59$0^{\circ}C$. The results obtained can be used in the analysis of process conditions in the vitrification and calcination of highly radioactive wastes and also of the thermal decomposition behaviour of mixtures containing those materials.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.211-218
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• 2013

Large quantities of irradiated graphite waste from graphite-moderated nuclear reactors exist and are expected to increase in the case of High Temperature Reactor (HTR) deployment [1,2]. This situation indicates the need for a graphite waste management strategy. Of greatest concern for long-term disposal of irradiated graphite is carbon-14 ($^{14}C$), with a half-life of 5730 years. Fachinger et al. [2] have demonstrated that thermal treatment of irradiated graphite removes a significant fraction of the $^{14}C$, which tends to be concentrated on the graphite surface. During thermal treatment, graphite surface carbon atoms interact with naturally adsorbed oxygen complexes to create $CO_x$ gases, i.e. "gasify" graphite. The effectiveness of this process is highly dependent on the availability of adsorbed oxygen compounds. The quantity and form of adsorbed oxygen complexes in pre- and post-irradiated graphite were studied using Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and Xray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) in an effort to better understand the gasification process and to apply that understanding to process optimization. Adsorbed oxygen fragments were detected on both irradiated and unirradiated graphite; however, carbon-oxygen bonds were identified only on the irradiated material. This difference is likely due to a large number of carbon active sites associated with the higher lattice disorder resulting from irradiation. Results of XPS analysis also indicated the potential bonding structures of the oxygen fragments removed during surface impingement. Ester- and carboxyl-like structures were predominant among the identified oxygen-containing fragments. The indicated structures are consistent with those characterized by Fanning and Vannice [3] and later incorporated into an oxidation kinetics model by El-Genk and Tournier [4]. Based on the predicted desorption mechanisms of carbon oxides from the identified compounds, it is expected that a majority of the graphite should gasify as carbon monoxide (CO) rather than carbon dioxide ($CO_2$). Therefore, to optimize the efficiency of thermal treatment the graphite should be heated to temperatures above the surface decomposition temperature increasing the evolution of CO [4].

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.123-129
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• 2024

We present a rapid method for the determination of Cs, Sr, and Ba, heat generators found in highly active liquid wastes, by gas-pressurized extraction chromatography (GPEC) using a column containing a cation-exchange resin. GPEC is a microscale column chromatographic technique that uses a constant flow rate of solvent (0.07 mL/min) with pressurized nitrogen gas supplied through a valve. In particular, because this method uses a small sample volume (a few hundred microliters), it produces less chemical waste and allows for faster separation compared to traditional column chromatography. In this study, we evaluated the separation of Cs, Sr, and Ba using GPEC. The eluate from the column (GPEC or conventional column chromatography) was quantitatively analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to measure the column recovery and precision. The column reproducibility of the proposed GPEC system (RSDs of recoveries) ranged from 2.7 to 4.1 %, and the column recoveries for the three elements ranged from 72 to 98% when aqueous HCl was used as the eluent. The GPEC results are slightly different in efficiency and separation resolution compared to those of conventional column chromatography because of the differences in the eluent flow rate as well as the internal diameter and length of the column. However, the two methods had similar recoveries for Cs and Sr, and the precision of GPEC was improved by two-fold. Remarkably, the solvent volume required for GPEC analysis was five times lower than that of the conventional method, and the total analysis time was 11 times shorter.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.2367-2374
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• 2011

Today's digital broadcasting services based on DVB-SI standard are provided a two-way broadcast. However, using the power of STB if the user does not use a waste of time spent on standby power is becoming a serious problem. Accordingly, for energy savings both at home and abroad to actively promote green policies, but highly functional STB, the internal software to automatically update the appropriate scheduling techniques are not shown, power usage does not meet the standard can. Therefore, In this paper We analyze the current STB technology and the problems, as proper use of power to the standard STB design scheme and the automatic software installation method of operation is presented.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.81-88
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• 2000

Composting of N-rich wastes such as food waste and wastewater sludges can be associated loss of with substantial gaseous N, which means loss of an essential plant nutrient but may also lead to environmental pollution. We investigated the behavior of nitrogenous materials during the first high-rate phase in composting of food waste. Air dried food waste was mixed with shredded waste paper or wood chip and reacted in a bench scale composting reactor. Samples were analyzed for pH, ammonia, oxidized nitrogen and organic nitrogen. The volatilized ammonia nitrogen was also analyzed using sulfuric acid as an absorbent solution. Initial progress of composting reaction greatly influenced the ammonification of organic nitrogen. A well-balanced composting reaction with an addition of active compost as an inoculum resulted in the promoted mineralization of organic nitrogen and volatilization of ammonia. The prolongation of initial low pH period delayed the production of ammonia. It was also found that nitrogen loss was highly dependent on the air flow supplied. With an increase in input air flow, the loss of nitrogen as an ammonia also increased, resulted in substantial reduction of ammonia content in compost. The conversion ratio of initial nitrogen into ammonia was in the range of 28 to 38% and about 77~94% of the ammonia produced was escaped as a gas. Material balance on the nitrogenous materials was demonstrated to provide an information of importance on the behavior of nitrogen in composting reaction.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.261-268
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• 2012

Objectives: The photocatalytic degradation of toluene in a batch mode photoreactor for the purpose of the hazardous waste treatment was investigated. Methods: Kinetic experiments using a low pressure mercury lamp (Lambda Scientific Pty Ltd, 50 Watt) emitting both UV and visible light were performed at $31^{\circ}C$ over toluene concentrations ranging from 10 to 50 mg/l in water with $50%TiO_2/6%WO_3$ (TW) concentration of 1 g/l at a pH of 6. Results: Kinetic studies showed that $50%TiO_2/6%WO_3$ (TW) photocatalyst was highly active in toluene degradation; we observed that 99% of the pollutant was degraded after six hours under visible irradiation; furthermore, we observed that adsorption onto TW catalyst was responsible for the decrease of toluene with pseudo-first order kinetics. It was also found that oxygen as a radical source in the sol medium played a significant role in affecting the photodegradation of toluene, especially with a two-fold elevation. This increase was achieved by a more than four-fold elevation of the photodegradation of toluene in the presence of acetone than without, presumably via an energy transfer mechanism. Conclusions: We concluded that photodegradation in acetone and oxygen molecules along with TW was an effective method for the removal of toluene from wastewater.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.1716-1720
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• 2011

A bacterium hydrolysing various organic materials including cellulose, protein, starch and lipid was isolated. The isolate was identified as Bacillus subtilis, and named Bacillus subtilis CK-2 in this paper. This bacterium showed optimal growth at $40\sim45^{\circ}C$, pH 6~9, and 0~3% of NaCl. B. subtilis CK-2 seemed to synthesis highly active autolysin. The hydrolytic enzymes produced by B. subtilis CK-2 were primary enzymes because extracellular enzyme activities varied similarly to the growth curve. The hydrolytic enzymes seemed to be stable at basic pH conditions. From these results, B. subtilis CK-2 was found to bea useful bacterial agent for composting, or for use in feed-production waste in agriculture, fishery, forest materials, livestock farming, and food.