• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.265-271
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• 2018

CRUD specimens, scraped from twice-burned fuel cladding in the Korean Nuclear Power Plant, were analyzed using Shielded-EPMA. The principal elements of the CRUD were identified as Ni and Fe, at an approximate ratio of 1.3 Ni/Fe. To investigate the morphology and composition of the pure metallic materials in the CRUD, coolant impurities must be removed. This can be accomplished by increasing the EPMA current to an abnormally high intensity until the impurities are melted. Normally, EPMA applications are performed at conditions of 20 kV voltage and 20 nA current. But in our study, the applied current was increased up to 1200 nA, over time increments ranging from 5 to 30 seconds. This technique was performed by opening an adjustable aperture for the gun alignment. Results showed impurities contained in the CRUD material disappeared and pure metal materials, e.g., Ni and Fe, remained. This method presents an innovative way to analyze CRUD.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.231-238
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• 2020

Radioactive corrosion product specimens were analyzed using an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) and X-ray image mapping. It is difficult to analyze the composition of radioactive corrosion products using an EPMA due to the size and rough shape of the surfaces. It is particularly challenging to analyze the composition of radioactive corrosion products in the form of piled up, small grains. However, useful results can be derived by applying a semi-quantitative analysis method using an EPMA with X-ray images. A standard-less, semi-quantitative method for wavelength dispersive spectrometry. EPMA analysis was developed with the objective of simplifying the analytical procedure required. In this study, we verified the reasonable theory of semi-quantitative analysis and observed the semi-quantitative results using a sample with a good surface condition. Based on the validated results, we analyzed highly rough-surface radioactive corrosion products and assessed their composition. Finally, the usefulness of the semi-quantitative analysis was reviewed by verifying the results of the analysis of radioactive corrosion products collected from spent nuclear fuel rods.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.118-128
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• 2021

The oxide layer in samples taken from an irradiated Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube from a CANDU-PHWR reactor was analyzed using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The examined tube had been exposed to temperatures ranging from 264 to 306 ℃ and a neutron fluence of 8.9 × 10²¹ n/cm² (E > 1 MeV) for the maximum 10 effective full-power years in a nuclear power plant. Measuring oxide layer thickness generally employs optical microscopy. However, in this study, analysis of the oxide layer from the irradiated pressure tube components was undertaken through X-ray image mapping obtained using EPMA. The oxide layer characteristics were analyzed by X-ray image mapping with 256 × 256 pixels using EPMA. In addition, the slope of the oxide layer was measured for each location. A particular advantage of this study was that backscattered electrons and X-ray image mapping were obtained at a magnification of 9,000 when 20 kV volts and 30 uA of current were applied to radiation-shielded EPMA. The results of this study should usefully contribute to the study of the oxide layer properties of various types of metallic materials irradiated by high radiation in nuclear power plants.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.311-312
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• 2009

가압 경수로에서 53,000 MWd/tU으로 연소된 사용후 핵연료의 PCI 영역에 대해 방사선 차폐형 성분 분석기기( Shielded EPMA)를 사용하여 반경방향에 대한 성분분포를 분석하였다. PCI 영역에서 산화층의 두께는 13um 이었으며, 핵분열생성물의 침투 두께는 시료에서 약 10 um 이내로 나타났다. 이 두께에 침투된 핵종의 총 농도는 1~2 wt%로 관찰되었다. 주요핵종은 Cs 0.5~0.7 wt%, Mo 0.2~0.3 wt%, Pd, Ru, Nd, Ce등이 0.1~0.2 wt% 로 관찰되었다.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2020

Chalk River Unidentified Deposits (CRUDs) were collected from the Korean pressurized water reactor (PWR) plant (A, B, and C) where the axial offset anomaly (AOA) occurred. AOA, also known as a CRUD-induced power shift, is one of the key issues in maintaining stable PWR plant operations. CRUDs were sampled from spent nuclear fuel rods and analyzed using an electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA). This paper describes the characteristics of boron-deposits from the CRUDs sampled from twice-burnt assemblies from the Korean PWR. The primary coolant of a PWR contains boron and lithium. It is known that boron deposition occurs in a thick CRUD layer under substantial sub-cooled nucleate boiling (SNB). The results of this study are summarized as follows. Boron was not found at the locations where the existence was confirmed in simulated CRUDs, in other words, the cladding and CRUD boundaries. Nevertheless, we clearly observed the presence of boron and confirmed that boron existed as a lump in crystalline form. In addition, the study confirmed that CRUD existed in a crystal form with a unique size of about 10 ㎛.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.113-119
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• 2005

The Methodology of burnup calculation with EPMA test set up in this study. The spent fuel from PWR nuclear power plant was used as specimen. This $UO_2$ fuel with 3.2% of enrichment had been irradiated up to 35,000 MWd/MTU. The burnup is very important factor for nuclear fuel to estimate all fuel behaviors in reactor. To measure amounts of fission products and actinides for the burnup calcualation, destructive method analysis has been used but it makes long experimental time and second radio-wastes. In this study, EPMA test was available to measure amount of fission products. Neodymium is able to be detected and quantified. It can be compared with the results from chemical analysis and ORIGEN-2 code calculation. Concentration of Nd from EPMA test showed good agreement with result of ORIGEN-2 code in the same burnup.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.335-343
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• 2005

The Methodology of burnup calculation with EPMA test set up in this study. The spent fuel from PWR nuclear power plant was used as specimen. This $UO_2$ fuel with $3.2\%$ of enrichment had been irradiated up to 35,000 MWd/MTU(reference data). The burnup is very important factor for nuclear fuel to estimate all fuel behaviors in reactor. To measure amounts of fission products and actinides for the burnup calcualation, chemical analysis (destructive method) has been used but it mattes long experimental time and second radio-wastes. In this study, EPMA test was available to measure amount of fission products. Neodymium is able to be detected and quantified. It can be compared with the results from chemical analysis and ORIGEN-2 code calculation. Concentration of Nd from EPMA test showed good agreement with result of ORIGEN-2 code in the same burnup.