• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.278-284
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• 2004

The processes for the smelting of a metal product and the solidification of a molten salt were developed respectively to treat the products from the electrochemical reduction process. The method for the separation of a metal product in a magnesia container from the residual. salt and consequent smelting of it to a metal ingot by the multi step heating in vacuum was proposed. The new concept using a dual vessel and a salt valve was also suggested for the solidification of a molten salt into a regular size and shape which is suitable for the transport and measurement. The results obtained in the study will be applied to the design of the hot cell demonstration system of the Advanced Spent Fuel Conditioning Process of KAERI.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.211-216
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• 1999

Corrosion behavior of austenitic stainless steels of SUS 316L and SUS304L in molten salt of LiCl and $LiCl/Li_2O$ has been investigated in the temperature range of $650~850^{\circ}C$. Corrosion products of SUS316L and 304L in hot molten salt consisted of two layers-an outer layer of Li(CrFe)$O_2$and an inner layer of$Cr_2O_3$. The corrosion layer was uniform in molten salt of LiCl, but the intergranular corrosion occurred in addition to the uniform corrosion in mixed molten salt of LiCl/$Li_2O$. The corrosion rate increased slowly with the increase of temperature up to $750^{\circ}C$, but above $750^{\circ}C$ rapid increase in corrosion rate observed. SUS316L stainless steel showed slower corrosion rate than SUS 304L, exhibiting higher corrosion resistance in the molten salt.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.211-217
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• 2004

A Li recovery technology has been developed and related experimental verification efforts were carried out to improve the economical viability and environmental friendliness of the 'Advanced Spent Fuel Conditioning Process' being developed at KAERI. This technology is characterized by the combination of 1) the electrolysis of $Li_2O$ in a molten salt by using a porous non-conducting magnesia container at the cathode, 2) the separation of the Li in the container from the molten salt by elevating the container above the level of a molten salt, 3) the transport of the Li in the container by using a vacuum siphon to a separated reservoir. Li was semi-continuously recovered from a LiCl-$Li_2O$ molten salt with a more than 95% yield by using the developed technology.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.3-9
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• 2002

The corrosion behavior of alloys in a molten salt was investigated along with the oxidation characteristics in the air. The basic composition of alloys in the study was Fe-25Ni-7Cr with Si and RE(rare-earth metal) as additives. The corrosion rate of the alloys was low in a molten salt of LiCl while the rate was high in the mixed molten salt of LiCl and $Li_2O$. When Si is added to the base alloy of Fe-25Ni-7Cr, corrosion resistance was improved as the Si content is increased up to 3%, however, it was observed that the corrosion resistance was getting worse as the Si content is increased. The base alloy with 2.43% of Si and 0.9% of RE(KSA-65), showed higher corrosion rate compared to that of KSA-63 alloy with an equivalent amount of only Si. The corrosion resistance of KSA-65 was similar to that of the base alloy(KSA-60). The oxidation resistance of KSA-65 alloy was greatly increased even at $850^{\circ}C$ for a long term exposure.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.1569-1579
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• 2021

This study aims to provide microstructural characterization for the matrix graphite which molten salt reactors (MSRs) use, and improve resistance to molten salt infiltration of the matrix graphite for fuel elements. Mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) densified matrix graphite A3-3 (MDG) was prepared by a quasi-isostatic pressure process. After densification by MCMBs with average particle sizes of 2, 10, and 16 ㎛, the pore diameter of A3-3 decreased from 924 nm to 484 nm, 532 nm, and 778 nm, respectively. Through scanning electron microscopy, the cross-section energy spectrum and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, resistance levels of the matrix graphite to molten salt infiltration were analyzed. The results demonstrate that adding a certain proportion of MCMB powders can improve the anti-infiltration ability of A3-3. Meanwhile, the closer the particle size of MCMB is to the pore diameter of A3-3, the smaller the average pore diameter of MDG and the greater the densification. As a matrix graphite of fuel elements in MSR was involved, the thermal and mechanical properties of matrix graphite MDG were also studied. When densified by the MCMB matrix graphite, MDGs can meet the molten salt anti-infiltration requirements for MSR operation.

• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.04a
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• pp.86-91
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• 2011

Thermal design was conducted for a solar thermal storage system in a medium-temperature range between $200^{\circ}C$ and $400^{\circ}C$. The system was composed of heat pipes as heat carrier and molten salts as phase-change storage material. Each heat pipe penetrated through the storage system and had two heat-exchanging sections at both ends to interact with high-and low-temperature steams, while it exchanged heat with molten salts in the middle section. During a heat-storage mode, the heat pipes transferred heat from the hot steam at one side to the molten salts and it transferred heat from the molten salt to the cold steam at the other side during the heat-dissipating mode. A tube-bank type heat exchanger theory was applied to this design task to meet the required inlet and outlet temperatures of the steams depending on the operation modes. Several design variables were considered including the lengths of evaporator and condenser of a heat pipe, traverse and longitudinal pitches of the pipe, and the number of rows of the heat pipes for two different molten salt baths. An optimum design results were presented with discussion.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.143-155
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• 2020

A reference electrode is important for controlling electrochemical reactions. Evaluating properties such as the reduction potential of the elements is necessary to optimize the electrochemical processes in pyroprocessing, especially in a multicomponent environment. In molten chloride systems, which are widely used in pyroprocessing, a reference electrode is made by enclosing the silver wire and molten salt solution containing silver chloride into the membranes. However, owing to the high temperature of the molten salt, the choice of the membrane for the reference electrode is limited. In this study, three types of electroceramic, mullite, Pyrex, and quartz, were compared as reference electrode membranes. They are widely used in molten salt electrochemical processes. The potential measurements between the two reference electrode systems showed that the mullite membrane has potential deviations of approximately 50 mV or less at temperatures higher than 650℃, Pyrex at temperatures lower than 500℃, and quartz at temperatures higher than 800℃. Cyclic voltammograms with different membranes showed a significant potential shift when different membranes were utilized. This research demonstrated the uncertainties of potential measurement by a single membrane and the potential shift that occurs because of the use of different membranes.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.545-550
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• 2000

In order to synthesize Ba-ferrite particles by molten salt method KCl and NaCl were added to basic composition to 50% by weight. X was varied from 0.0 to 1.0 to control the magnetic properties in $BaFe_{12-2x}$/ $Co_{x}$ / $Ti_{x}$ / $O_{19}$ and 1 mol% of $SiO_2$was added to control the aspect ratio of hexagonal platelets. And the effects of reaction temperatures were examined by varying the temperature from 85$0^{\circ}C$ to 120$0^{\circ}C$ with 5$0^{\circ}C$ intervals. Eutectic composition of NaCl and KCl lowered the crystallizing temperature of Ba-ferrite in molten salts than using KCl and NaCl separatly. The morphology of resulting Ba-ferrite particles was clearly hexagonal-shaped plates. $H_{c}$ and $M_{r}$ were decreased when F $e^{3+}$ was substitued with $Co^{2+}$ and $Ti^{4+}$ from x=0 to x=1.0 in $BaFe_{12-2x}$/ $Co_{x}$ / $Ti_{x}$ / $O_{19}$ . Adding 1mol% $SiO_2$in molten salt method increased the size but shortened c-axis of the hexagonal ferrites and this result is an opposite phenomenon compared with the result in solid-statge reaction.n.ion.n.

• Journal of Ceramic Processing Research
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• v.13 no.spc2
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• pp.198-201
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• 2012

The electrolytes in thermal batteries are nonconductive solids at ambient temperature, which prevent the self-discharge and corrosion. To meet severe environmental requirements and guarantee acceptable handling yields, all the pellets in cells should have adequate strength, especially for the cathodes due to their poor binding properties among FeS2 particles. By modifying the surface microstructure of FeS2 through molten-salt heat treatment, the inter-particle binding strength is greatly increased, resulting in the enhanced pellet strength and yield. The addition of Li2O also promoted the soft salt coating coverage of hard FeS2 particles, which can be explained by the enhanced wettability of the molten salt.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.11b
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• pp.176-181
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• 2005

The electrolytic reduction process and the electrorefining process, which are being developed at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), are to generate molten waste salts such as LiCI salt and LiCI-KCI eutectic salt, respectively. Our goal in waste salt management is to minimize a total waste generation and fabricate a very low­leaching waste form such as a ceramic waste form. Zeolite has been known to one of the most desirable media to immobilize waste salt, which is water soluble and easily radiolyzed. Zeolite can be also used to the removal of fission products from the spent waste salt. Molten LiCI salt is mixed with zeolite A at $650^{\circ}C$ to form a salt-loaded zeolite, and then thermally treated in above $900^{\circ}C$ to become an immobilized product with crystal phase of $Li_{8}Cl_{2}$-Sodalite. In this work, a crystal phase changes of immobilization medium, zeolite, during immobilization of molten LiCI salt using zeolite A is introduced.