• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제39권5호
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• pp.663-672
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• 2007

The mutual separation behavior of actinides and rare earths in a countercurrent multistage reductive extraction system was predicted by computer calculation. The distribution information for actinides and rare earths in the reductive extraction systems of LiCl-KCl/Cd and LiCl-KCl/Bi was collected from literature and then it was used for the calculation of a multistage extraction. The results of the concentration profiles throughout the extraction cascade, recovery yields of various metal solutes, and separation factors between the actinides and rare earths were calculated. The effects of the major process parameters, such as reducing agent content in the metal phase, number of stages, and salt/metal flow ratio, etc., on the extraction behavior were also examined.

• 한국방사성폐기물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2018년도 추계학술논문요약집
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• pp.181-182
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• 2018

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제44권7호
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• pp.767-772
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• 2012

In support of optimizing electrorefining technology for treating spent nuclear fuel, lithium drawdown has been investigated for separating actinides from molten salt electrolyte. Drawdown reaction selectivity is a major issue that requires investigation, since the goal is to remove actinides while leaving the fission products and other components in the salt. A series of lithium drawdown tests with surrogate fission product chlorides was run to obtain selectivity data with non-radioactive salts, develop a predictive model, and draw conclusions about the viability of using this process with actinide-loaded salt. Results of tests with CsCl, $LaCl_3$, $CeCl_3$, and $NdCl_3$ are reported here. Equilibrium was typically achieved in less than 10 hours of contact between lithium metal and molten salt under well-stirred conditions. Maintaining low oxygen and water impurity concentrations (<10 ppm) in the atmosphere was observed to be critical to minimize side reactions and maintain stable salt compositions. An equilibrium model has been formulated and fit to the experimental data. Good fits to the data were achieved. Based on analysis and results obtained to date, it is concluded that clean separation between minor actinides and lanthanides will be difficult to achieve using lithium drawdown.

• 분석과학
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.302-307
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• 2004

환경시료중의 극미량의 악티늄계 동위원소들을 분석하기는 무척 어렵다. 이들 원소들은 개별 분리하는 작업이 필요하며, 알파분광법으로 분석한 어떤 핵종들은 검출감도도 높은 편이다. 이런 극미량의 악티늄계 동위원소들을 분석하기 위해 용매추출법이 결합된 TRU-Spec 이온교환수지와 음이온 교환수지를 사용하여 악티늄계 원소들을 분리한 후 알파분광법으로 검출하였다. 그리고 U과 Th의 검출한계를 낮추기 위해 중성자방사화분석법을 적용하였다. 중성자방사화분석법을 적용하기 위한 바탕물질로 고순도 V foil을 사용하여 검출감도를 10배 향상시킬 수 있었으며, 이 분석법을 표준시료인 NIST-4354, IAEA-368 퇴적물 시료에 적용한 결과 표준값과 10% 이내에서 잘 일치하였다.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.569-574
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• 2005

A coupled column liquid chromatography system was applied for the separation of the burnup monitors in spent nuclear fuel sample solutions. A reversed phase column was studied for the adsorption behavior of uranyl ions using alpha-hydroxyisobutyric acid as an eluent and used for the separation of plutonium and uranium. A cation exchange column prepared by coating 1-eicosylsulfate onto the reversed phase column was used for the separation of the lanthanides. In addition, retention of Np was checked with the reversed phase column and cation exchange column, respectively, according to the oxidation states to observe the interference effect for the separation of burnup monitors. This chromatography system showed a great reduction in separation time compared to a conventional anion exchange method. A good agreement from the burnup data was obtained between for this method and a conventional anion exchange method to within 1% of a difference for the spent nuclear fuel samples of about 40 GWD/MTU.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제40권7호
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• pp.581-592
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• 2008

In this study, a conceptual pyroprocess flowsheet has been devised by combining several dry-type unit processes; its applicability as an alternative fuel cycle technology was analyzed. A key point in the evaluation of its applicability to the fuel cycle was the recovery yield of fissile materials from spent fuels as well as the proliferation resistance of the process. The recovery yields of uranium and transuranic elements (TRU) were obtained from a material balance for every unit process composing the whole pyroprocess. The material balances for several elemental groups of interest such as uranium, TRU, rare earth, gaseous fission products, and heat generating elements were calculated on the basis of the knowledge base that is available from domestic and foreign experimental results or technical information presented in open literature. The calculated result of the material balance revealed that uranium and TRU could be recovered at 98.0% and 97.0%, respectively, from a typical PWR spent fuel. Furthermore, the anticipated TRU product was found to emit a non-negligible level of $\gamma$-ray and a significantly higher level of neutrons compared to that of a typical plutonium product obtained from the PUREX process. The results indicate that the product from this conceptual pyroprocessing should be handled in a shielded cell and that this will contribute favorably to retaining proliferation resistance.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제26권11호
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• pp.1692-1694
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• 2005

Spent nuclear fuel is reprocessed commercially by the chemical process to recover U and Pu. Recently, new salt-free reagents to separate plutonium and neptunium from uranium suitable for use in a single cycle flowsheet have been developed. Acetohydroxamic acid $(CH_3CONHOH)$ has been taken much interest in as a complexing agent capable of selective stripping of tetravalent actinides from U(VI) when actinides are present in the solvent stream of the advanced PUREX process. Additionally acetohydroxamic acid will rapidly reduce Np(VI) to inextractable Np(V) thus allowing the separation of Np from U. In this study, the rate equation for the reduction of Np(VI) to Np(V) in nitric acid aqueous solution has been determined as: $-[NpO_2^{2+}]$/dt = $k[NpO_2^{2+}]$[AHA] with k = 191.2 ${\pm}$ 11.2 $M^{-1}s^{-1}$ at 25 ${\pm}$ 0.5 ${^{\circ}C}$ and $[HNO_3]$ = 1.0 M. Comparison with other reductants available in the literature, acetohydroxamic acid is a strong one for $NpO_2^{2+}$.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권2호
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• pp.391-407
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• 2023

This article provides a survey of wet (aqueous) methods for recovery, separation, and purification of uranium from fission products in carbonate solutions during the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and methods for removal of radionuclides from alkaline radioactive waste. The main methods such as selective direct precipitation, ion exchange, and solvent extraction are considered. These methods were compared and evaluated for reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel in carbonate media according to novel alternative non-acidic methods and for treatment processes of alkaline radioactive waste.

• 멤브레인
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.13-22
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• 2022

세계적인 에너지 수요의 증가는 통제할 수 없는 환경 오염을 야기하고 있다. 화석 연료에 대한 수요와 그로 인한 탄소 배출이 지구 온난화와 기후 변화로 이어진 것이다. 핵에너지는 청정 에너지를 생산하는 대체 자원이지만 핵연료 채굴은 유해한 화학물질과 관련이 있다. 반면에 막 분리 과정을 통해 바닷물에서 중요 광물을 채굴하는 것은 효율적이며 친환경적이다. 분리와 흡착을 통해 해수로부터 주요 광물을 채굴하는 것은 또 다른 효율적인 과정이다. 희토류 원소에서 악티늄족을 회수하는 것은 매우 어렵고 고비용의 과정이다. 압력 기반 막 분리 과정은 친환경적일 뿐만 아니라 경제적으로 실현가능한 과정이기도 하다. 본 리뷰에서 다루는 막 공정에는 폴리에테르 설폰, 폴리아미드, 폴리이미드, 폴리아미독신 및 하이브리드 막이 있다. 또한 흡착 공정의 경우, 주로 아미독심 종류의 흡착제가 논의될 것이다.

• 한국방사성폐기물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2004년도 Proceedings of the 4th Korea-China Joint Workshop on Nuclear Waste Management
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• pp.245-256
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• 2004

The extraction of three kinds of amido podands, N,N,N'N'-tetrabutyl-3-oxa-pentanedi- amide (TBDGA), N,N,N'N'-tetra-isobutyl-3-oxa-pentanediamide(TiBDGA) and N,N,N'N'-tetra- butyl-3,6-dioxa-oct-anediam- ide(TBDOODA) on U(VI),Pu(IV), Am(III), Eu(III) and other metal ions is studied in nitric acid solutions. 40%octanol-kerosene is chosen as diluents to eliminate third phase and emulsion. TBDGA and TiBDGA show extraction selectivity to An(III) and Ln(III) much higher than to U(VI) and Pu(IV). Fe, Ru and Mo is poorly extracted by the three kinds of amid podands in 2~3mol/L $HNO_3$ solutions. Aiming to eliminate interface crude when using simulated HLLW solution in the system of 0.2mol/L TBDGA/Octanol＋kerosene, acetohydroxyamic acid was adapted. Distribution ratio of zirconium was decreased when adding acetohydroxyamic acid in aqueous solution, and interface crude disappeared as mixing extractant with HLLW. The counter-current extraction test is carried out in a set of miniature mixer-settler, with 0.2mol/L TBDGA/ 40% octanol-kerosene as extractant to separate U(VI), Pu(IV), Am(III) and Eu(III) from simulated high level liquid waste(HLLW) solution. In battery A, lanthanides and actinides are coextracted into organic phase with the recovery of 99.98% for U(Ⅵ), >99.99% for Pu(IV), and >99.99% for Am(III) and Eu(III) respectively. In battery R1, 99.99% U, 86.2% Pu and a part of Am or Eu are stripped into aqueous phase by 0.2mol/L acetohydroxyamic acid (AHA) in 0.01mol/L $HNO_3$ solution. In battery $R_2$, Am, Eu and remained Pu are completely back-extracted by 0.2mol/L AHA. This separation process contains no salt reagent, and it is not necessary to dilute HLLW feed.