• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2015

The production of nuclear fuel cladding tube is expected to increase with the nuclear power plant expansion. Zirconium(Zr) scrap that is generated during manufacturing is also expected to increase. Zr electrorefining experiment was carried out in the fluoride salt of LiF-KF-ZrF₄ using multiple electrode for scale up and improving throughput Zr electrorefiner develop-ment. The Zr reduction peak observed at-0.8 V(vs.Ni). Polarization behavior showed that the amount of applied current increases because of decreasing cell resistance as the number of cathode increases. Experimental results showed the highest recovery rate about 98% at lowest current density of 25.64 mA/cm² using 6 electrodes. XRD and TG analysis result show that pure Zr was recovered 99.92% and ICP analysis shows that lower impurity content than conventional impurity content of the Anode(97.8%). Electrorefining consumes energy about 7.15 kWh/kg less than 39.7% compared to the Kroll process using 6 electrode width of 20 mm and height of 65 mm. Because of increasing cell efficiency and recovery rate, using multiple cathode is determined as an efficient technique for scale up electrorefining Zr scrap.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.712-721
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• 2000

$LiF-BeF_2-ZrF_4$(63-30-7 mol%) molten salt was dissolved up to 0.02g in 1ml of distilled water at room temperature. $ZrO_2$ oxide made from $ZrF_4$ through pyrohydrolysis was recovered by leaching in distilled water with $LiF-BeF_2-ZrF_4$molten salt including it at room temperature. The crystalline sharpness of recovered $ZrO_2$ oxide was not damaged.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2013

The recovery of Zr from Zircaloy-4 (Zry-4) cladding hulls using a chlorination method was demonstrated for complete conversion of Zr into $ZrCl_4$. A chlorination reaction was performed by reacting Zry-4 hulls for 8 h under a 70 cc/min $Cl_2$ + 70 cc/min Ar flow at $380^{\circ}C$. The initial weight of the reactant (51.7 g) decreased to 0.49 g after 8 h of operation, which is only 0.95wt% of the initial weight. The weight of the total reaction products was 121.7 g with a high Zr purity of 99.80wt%. Fe and Sn were identified as major (0.18wt%) and minor (0.02wt%) impurities of the reaction products, respectively. It was also shown that Zr exhibited a high recovery ratio of 96.95wt% with a relatively small experimental loss of 2.34wt%. Observation of the reaction residues revealed that the chlorination reaction was dominant along the longitudinal direction, and surface oxide layers remained as reaction residues. The high purity and recovery ratio of Zr proposed the feasibility of the chlorination technique as an effective hull waste treatment method.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.28-36
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• 2008

The effect of attrition scrubbing on the recovery of platinum group metals (PGMs) from automobile catalytic converters has been investigated. Catalytic converters were first crushed into particles less than 2 mm and attrition scrubbed in the range of 60 min, and then they were sieved with several screens. The catalyst layer, $\gamma$-alumina, was dislodged from the surface of the supporting matrix into fine particles less than $45{\mu}m$ by attrition scrubbing. The fraction of fine particles less than $45{\mu}m$ increased as the residence time for attrition scrubbing increased. The composition of the fine fraction obtained at a residence time of 40 min was $CeO_2$ 19.3%, $ZrO_2$ 1.9% and PGMs 419 ppm. In the fine fraction, the recovery of y-alumina increased proportionally to the residence time. Simultaneously, the recovery rates of $CeO_2$, $ZrO_2$ and PGMs increased to 82.9%, 78.7% and 78.9%, respectively. The production of the fine fraction less than $45{\mu}m$ and the recovery of $\gamma$-alumina increased when the solid concentration and initial feed size increased. Therefore, the attrition scrubbing as the comminution and separation process was concerned to be effective for the recovery of catalyst layer from ceramic supporting matrix by physical impact and shearing action between particles in the scrubbing vessel.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.13-22
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• 2017

Two-step water splitting thermochemical cycle with $CeO_2/ZrO_2$ foam device was investigated by using a solar simulator composed of 2.5 kW Xe-Arc lamp and mirror reflector. The hydrogen production of $CeO_2/ZrO_2$ foam device depending on heat recovery of Thermal-Reduction step and Water-Decomposition step was analyzed, and the hydrogen production of $CeO_2/ZrO_2$ and $NiFe_2O_4/ZrO_2$ foam devices was compared. Resultantly, the quantity of hydrogen generation increased by 52.02% when the carrier gas of Thermal-Reduction step is preheated to $200^{\circ}C$ and, when the $N_2/steam$ is preheated to $200^{\circ}C$ in the Water-Decomposition step, the quantity of hydrogen generation increased by 35.85%. Therefore, it is important to retrieve the heat from the highly heated gases discharged from each of the reaction spaces in order to increase the reaction temperature of each of the stages and thereby increasing the quantity of hydrogen generated through this.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.127-137
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• 2019

Zr electrorefining is demonstrated herein using Zirlo tubes in a chloride-fluoride mixed molten salt in the presence of $AlF_3$. Cyclic voltammetry reveals a monotonic shift in the onset of metal reduction kinetics towards positive potential and an increase in intensity of the additional peaks associated with Zr-Al alloy formation with increasing $AlF_3$ concentration. Unlike the galvanostatic deposition mode, a radial plate-type Zr growth is evident at the top surface of the salt during Zr electrorefining at a constant potential of -1.2 V. The diameter of the plate-type Zr deposit gradually increases with increasing $AlF_3$ concentration. Scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses for the plate-type Zr deposit show that trace amount of Al is incorporated as Zr-Al alloys with different chemical compositions between the top and bottom surface of the deposit. Addition of $AlF_3$ is effective in lowering the residual salt content in the deposit and in improving the current efficiency for Zr recovery.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.282-290
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• 1997

The sorption and desorption properties of U(VI), Th(IV), Zr(IV), Cu(II), Pb(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) and Mn(II) ions on XAD-16-[4-(2-thiazolylazo)orcinol] (TAO) chelating resin were studied by elution method. The effect was examined with respect to overall capacity of each metal ion, separation of mixed metal ions, flow rate and concentration of buffer solution for optimum condition of sorption. The overall capacities of some metal ions on this chelating resin were 0.35nmol U(VI)/g resin, 0.49nmol Th(IV)/g resin, 0.41nmol Cu(II)/g resin, and 0.31nmol Zr(IV)/g resin, respectively. The elution order of metal ions obtained from breakthrough capacity and overall capacity at pH 5.0 was Th(IV)>Cu(II)>U(VI)>Zr(IV)>Pb(II)>Ni(II)>Zn(II)>Mn(II)>Cd(II). The group separation of mixed metal ions was possible by increasing pH in pH range 2~5 at a flow rate of 0.28mL/min. Characteristics of desorption were investigated with desorption agents such as $HNO_3$, HCl, $HClO_4$, $H_2SO_4$, and $Na_2CO_3$. It was found that 2M $HNO_3$ showed high desorption efficiency to most of metal ions except Zr(IV) ion. Also, desorption and recovery of Zr(IV) ion were successfully performed with 1M $H_2SO_4$. Recovery of trace amount of U(VI) ion from artificial sea water was over 94%. The chelating resin, XAD-16-TAO was successfully applied to group separation of rare earth metal ions from U(VI) by using 2M $HNO_3$ as an eluent.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society for Energy Engineering kosee Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.170-175
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• 2006

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.421-428
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• 1998

A method has been studied to separate Zr from various fission products in PWR spent nuclear fuels. A solution containing metal ions in place of radioactive fission products was prepared. The Zr was separated with 5 M HCl followed by eluting metal ions such as Ce, Nd, Cs, Rb, Ba, Sr, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag and Cd with 12 M HCl on Dowex $1{\times}8$, anion exchange resin. The recovery of Zr was more than 95%. The purification of Zr was carried out on anion exchange resin, Dowex $1{\times}8$, in 5 M HCl in order to remove Mo causing isobaric effect during mass spectrometry. The method was applied to separate Zr from a spent PWR fuel. From mass spectrometric measurement, the purified Zr portion was not showed the isobars from other elements such as Mo and Sr.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.364-372
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• 1996

The sorption and desorption properties of U(VI), Th(IV), Zr(IV), Cu(II), Pb(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) and Mn(II) ions on XAD-16-[2-(2-thiazolylazo)-p-cresol](TAC) chelating resin were studied by elution method for selective separation, concentration and recovery of trace metal ions in sea water. The optimum conditions for the sorption of metal ions were examined with respect to flow rate, pH and concentration of buffer solution. The overall capacities of some metal ions on this chelating resin were 0.41mmol U(VI)/g resin, 0.55mmol Th(IV)/g resin, 0.43mmol Cu(II)/g resin, and 0.32mmol Zr(IV)/g resin, respectively. The elution order of metal ions obtained from breakthrough capacity and overall capacity at pH 5.0 was found as Th(IV)>Cu(II)>U(VI)>Zr(IV)>Pb(II)>Ni(II)>Zn(II)>Cd(II)>Mn(II). Desorption of characteristics for metal ions were investigated with desorption agents such as $HNO_3$, HCl, $HClO_4$, $H_2SO_4$, and $Na_2CO_3$. It was found that most of metal ions except Zr(IV) showed high desorption efficiency with 2M $HNO_3$. But, desorption and recovery of Zr(IV) ion were successfully performed with 1M $H_2SO_4$. The resin was applied for separation and preconcentration of trace amount of U(VI) ion from artificial sea water and the recovery of U(IV) was over 96%.