• 한국방사성폐기물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국방사성폐기물학회 2005년도 Proceedings of The 6th korea-china joint workshop on nuclear waste management
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• pp.39-50
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• 2005

Electrolytic reduction of uranium oxide to uranium metal was studied in a $LiCl-Li_{2}O$ molten salt system. The reduction mechanism of the uranium oxide to a uranium metal has been studied by means of a cyclic voltammetry. Effects of the layer thickness of the uranium oxide and the thickness of the MgO on the overpotential of the cathode and the anode were investigated by means of a chronopotentiometry. From the cyclic voltamograms, the decomposition potentials of the metal oxides are the determining factors for the mechanism of the reduction of the uranium oxide in a $LiCl-3\;wt{\%} Li_{2}O$ molten salt and the two mechanisms of the electrolytic reduction were considered with regards to the applied cathode potential. In the chronopotentiograms, the exchange current and the transfer coefficient based on the Tafel behavior were obtained with regard to the layer thickness of the uranium oxide which is loaded into the porous MgO membrane and the thickness of the porous MgO membrane. The maximum allowable currents for the changes of the layer thickness of the uranium oxide and the thickness of the MgO membrane were also obtained from the limiting potential which is the decomposition potential of LiCl.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제40권6호
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• pp.497-504
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• 2008

In a study of the optimum operational condition for a melting decontamination, the effects of the basicity, slag type and slag composition on the distribution of depleted uranium were investigated for radioactively contaminated metallic wastes of iron-based metals such as stainless steel (SUS 304L) in a direct current graphite arc furnace. Most of the depleted uranium was easily moved into the slag from the radioactive metal waste. The partitioning ratio of the depleted uranium was influenced by the amount of added slag former and the slag basicity. The composition of the slag former used to capture contaminants such as depleted uranium during the melt decontamination process generally consists of silica ($SiO_2$), calcium oxide (CaO) and aluminum oxide ($Al_2O_3$). Furthermore, calcium fluoride ($CaF_2$), magnesium oxide (MgO), and ferric oxide ($Fe_2O_3$) were added to increase the slag fluidity and oxidative potential. The partitioning ratio of the depleted uranium was increased as the amount of slag former was increased. Up to 97% of the depleted uranium was captured between the ingot phase and the slag phase. The partitioning ratio of the uranium was considerably dependent on the basicity and composition of the slag. The optimum condition for the removal of the depleted uranium was a basicity level of about 1.5. The partitioning ratio of uranium was high, exceeding $5.5{\times}10^3$. The slag formers containing calcium fluoride ($CaF_2$) and a high amount of silica proved to be more effective for a melt decontamination of stainless steel wastes contaminated with depleted uranium.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권6호
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• pp.1931-1938
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• 2021

Uranium ingot is produced by metallothermic reduction of uranium tetrafluoride using magnesium or calcium as reductant. Presence of oxygen containing compounds viz. uranyl fluoride and uranium oxide in the starting uranium fluoride has a significant effect on the firing time, final temperature of the charge, slag-metal separation and hence the metal recovery. As reported in the literature, the maximum tolerable limit for uranyl fluoride in the UF₄ is 2.5 wt% and limit for uranium oxide content is in the range 2-3 wt%. No theoretical or experimental basis is available till date for these limits. Analyses have been carried out in this study to understand the effect of UO₂F₂ concentration in the starting fluoride on the final temperature of the products and thus the reduction characteristics. UF₄ having uranyl fluoride concentration, less than as well as more than 2.5 wt%, have been investigated. Thermodynamic calculations have been carried out to arrive at a general expression for the final temperature attained by the products during calciothermic reduction of UF₄. Finally, an upper limit for the oxygen containing impurities has been estimated using the CaO-CaF₂ phase diagram.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제3권2호
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• pp.105-112
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• 2005

650$^{\circ}C$의 LiCl-Li$_{2}$O 용융염계에서 10 g U$_{3}$O$_{8}$/batch 규모의 장치를 이용해서 우라늄산화물의 전해환원 특성에 대한 평가를 수행하였다. 일체형 음극은 고체전극, 우라늄산화물과 우라늄산화물을 담아주는 다공성 용기(멤브레인)로 구성된다. 멤브레인 재료로는 325-mesh 스테인레스강막과 다공성 마그네시아 도가니를 사용하였다. 일체형 음극의 재질에 따른 LiCl-3 wt$\%$ Li$_{2}$O계와 U$_{3}$O$_{8}$-LiCl-3 wt$\%$ Li$_{2}$O계의 순환 전압측정법 결과로부터 전해환원 반웅 메커니즘을 규명하였다. 일체형 음극의 재질에 따른 우라늄산화물의 직접 및 간접 전해환원에 대한 실험을 수행하였다. 그 결과, 325-mesh스테인레스강막을 사용하여 직접 및 간접 전해환원으로 금속전환을 수행하였을 때 낮은 전류효율로 인해 우라늄산화물을 금속우라늄으로 환원시키지 못했으며, 마그네시아 다공성 도가니를 사용하여 간접 전해환원으로 금속전환을 수행하였을 때는 높은 전류효율로 인해 우라늄산화물을 금속우라늄으로 환원시킬 수 있었다

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.25-39
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• 2003

본 연구에서는 고온의 LiCl-Ll$_2$O 용융염계에서 우라늄 산화물의 금속전환과 Li$_2$O의 전해반응이 동시에 진행되는 통합 반응 메카니즘을 기초로 한 전기화학적 금속전환기술을 제안하였다. 본 실험에서는 전기화학적 환원반응에 의해 생성된 Li 금속이온이 음극에 전착과 동시에 우라늄 산화물과 반응하여 금속전환율 99 % 이상의 우라늄 감속을 생성하는 통합 반응 메카니즘을 확인할 수 있었다. 또한 전기화학적 금속전환기술의 공정 적용성 평가 일환으로 우라늄 산화물의 금속전환성, 반응 메카니즘 규명, Li$_2$O의 closed recycle rate 및 물질전달 특성 등의 기초 데이터를 확보하였다 향후 전기화학적 금속전환기술은 LiCl-Li 용융염계의 금속전환공정의 반응조건 제한성 해소, 금속전환율 향상 및 공정의 단순화 등의 기술성과 경제성 향상 측면에서 획기적인 방안으로 고려될 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.295-301
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• 2023

To broaden the utilization of nuclear energy, uranium as a fuel should be mined indispensably. Mining accounts for the largest portion of the cost of producing the uranium assembly. Therefore, this study analyzes the trends of uranium prices, which have a significant impacts on the mining cost. Uranium production contributing to the price fluctuations is explained in five periods from 1945 to the present. Moreover, the series of events affecting uranium prices from the 1970s until the present are verified. Among them, the most recent incidents considered in this study are the following: COVID-19 pandemic, Kazakhstan unrest, and Russia-Ukraine war. European countries have started to reconsider the transition to nuclear power to reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas, which has contributed to the surge in uranium prices. Based on the results of this study, various international issues have been closely associated with the nuclear power industry and uranium, affecting the production of uranium and its price.

• 한국재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국재료학회 2003년도 춘계학술발표강연 및 논문개요집
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• pp.230-230
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• 2003

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.275-279
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• 2001

In uranium enrichment plants and nuclear fuel fabrication facilities, exact measurement of fissile isotope enrichment of uranium is required for material accounting in international safeguards inspection as well as process quality control. The purpose of this study was to develop a simple measurement system which can portably be used at nuclear fuel fabrication plants especially dealing with low enriched uranium. For this purpose, a small size CZT (CdZnTe) detector was used, and the detector performance in low uranium gamma/X -rays energy range was investigated by use of various enriched uranium oxide samples. New enrichment measurement technique and analysis method for low enriched uranium oxide, so-called, 'semi-peak ratio technique' was developed. The newly developed method was considered as an alternative technique for the low enrichment and would be useful to account nuclear material in safeguarding activity at nuclear fuel fabrication facility.

• 한국원자력학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국원자력학회 2002년도 춘계공동학술발표회요약집
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• pp.274-274
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• 2002

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• 제2권4호
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• pp.80-83
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• 2011

Isotope ratio analysis of nuclear materials in individual particles is of great importance for nuclear safeguards. Although secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) are utilized for the analysis of individual uranium particles, few studies were conducted for the analysis of individual uranium-plutonium mixed oxide particles. In this study, we applied SIMS and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to the isotope ratio analysis of individual U-Pu mixed oxide particles. In the analysis of individual U-Pu particles prepared from mixed solution of uranium and plutonium standard reference materials, accurate $^{235}U/^{238}U$, $^{240}Pu/^{239}Pu$ and $^{242}Pu/^{239}Pu$ isotope ratios were obtained with both methods. However, accurate analysis of $^{241}Pu/^{239}Pu$ isotope ratio was impossible, due to the interference of the $^{241}Am$ peak to the $^{241}Pu$ peak. In addition, it was indicated that the interference of the $^{238}UH$ peak to the $^{239}Pu$ peak has a possibility to prevent accurate analysis of plutonium isotope ratios. These problems would be avoided by a combination of ICP-MS and chemical separation of uranium, plutonium and americium in individual U-Pu particles.