• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.137-148
• /
• 2002

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.455-468
• /
• 2022

Colloid Formation and Migration (CFM) project is being carried out within the Grimsel Test Site (GTS) Phase Ⅵ. Since 2008, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has joined CFM to investigate the behavior of colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport in a generic Underground Research Laboratory (URL). The CFM project includes a long-term in-situ test (LIT) and an in-rock bentonite erosion test (i-BET) to assess the in-situ colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport through the bentonite erosion in the natural flow field. In the LIT experiment, radionuclide-containing compacted bentonite was equipped with a triple-packer system and then positioned at the borehole in the shear zone. It was observed that colloid transport was limited owing to the low swelling pressure and low hydraulic conductivity. Therefore, a postmortem analysis is being conducted to estimate the partial migration and diffusion of radionuclides. The i-BET experiment, that focuses more on bentonite erosion, was newly designed to assess colloid formation in another flow field. The i-BET experiment started with the placement of compacted bentonite rings in the double-packer system, and the hydraulic parameters and bentonite erosion have been monitored since December 2018.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.243-253
• /
• 2009

In this study, research status on radionuclide and colloid migration in underground research facilities including KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) was investigated. Some foreign underground research facilities constructed in crystalline rock formations such as granite were briefly introduced and compared. International joint researches concerned with the radionuclide and colloid migration were investigated particularly for the Grimsel Test Site (GTS) and $\ddot{A}$sp$\ddot{o}$ Hard Rock Laboratory by analyzing major research items, on-going research projects, and future plans.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
• /
• 1995.05b
• /
• pp.769-774
• /
• 1995

In this study, a transport model was developed in order to analyze and predict the transport behaviors of radionuclides mediated by pseudo-colloid in the fractured rock media. It was resulted that the transport of Pu-239 was faster than Ni-63 because pseudo-colloid formation constant of Pu-239 was greater than that of Ni-63. Also, the effect of pseudo-colloid formation on the transport of a radionuclide was shown to be very significant when the apparent pseudo colloid formation constant, $K_{ap}(m^{3}/kg)$, was greater than 100. Thus, it can be concluded that acceleration of radionuclide migration may be occurred because the pseudo-colloid formation of radionuclides increases the amount of mobile components in the solution and consequently decreases the amount of radionuclides adsorbed on the stationary solid medium.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.40 no.7
• /
• pp.593-606
• /
• 2008

In this study, data on radionuclide migration and retardation processes in the engineered and natural barriers of High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) repository have been reviewed and compiled for use in the performance assessment of a HLW disposal system in Korea. The status of the database on radionuclide migration and retardation that is being developed in Korea is investigated and summarized in this study. The solubilities of major actinides such as D, Th, Am, Np, and Pu both in Korean bentonite porewater and in deep Korean groundwater are calculated by using the geochemical code PHREEQC (Ver. 2.0) based on the KAERI-TDB(Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute-Thermochemical Database), which is under development. Databases for the diffusion coefficients ($D^b_e$ values) and distribution coefficients ($K^b_d$ values) of some radionuclides in the compacted Korean Ca-bentonite are developed based upon domestic experimental results. Databases for the rock matrix diffusion coefficients ($D^r_e$ values) and distribution coefficients ($K^r_d$ values) of some radionuclides for Korean granite rock and deep groundwater are also developed based upon domestic experimental results. Finally, data related to colloids such as the characteristics of natural groundwater colloids and the pseudo-colloid formation constants ($K_{pc}$ values) are provided for the consideration of colloid effects in the performance assessment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.532-543
• /
• 1995

In this study, a transport model was developed in order to analyze and predict the transport behaviors of radionuclides mediated by pseudo-colloid in the fractured rock media. The effect of pseudo-colloid formation on the transport of a radionuclide was shown to be tory significant when an ap-parent pseudo-colloid formation constant, $A_{ap}$ (㎥/kg), os greater than 100. It was resulted from example calculations that the transport of Pu-239 was faster than Ni-63 because pseudo-colloid formation constant of Pu-239 was venter than that of Ni-63. Thus, it can be concluded that acceleration of radionuclide migration may be occurred because the pseudo-colloid formation of radionuclides increases the amount of mobile components in the solution and consequently decreases the amount of radionuclides adsorbed on the stationary solid medium.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.279-296
• /
• 2022

The fundamental characteristics of groundwater colloids, such as composition, concentration, size, and stability, were analyzed using granitic groundwater samples taken from the KAERI Underground Research Tunnel (KURT) site by such analytical methods as inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, field emission-transmission electron microscopy, a liquid chromatography-organic carbon detector, and dynamic light scattering technique. The results show that the KURT groundwater colloids are mainly composed of clay minerals, calcite, metal (Fe) oxide, and organic matter. The size and concentration of the groundwater colloids were 10-250 nm and 33-64 ㎍·L^-1, respectively. These values are similar to those from other studies performed in granitic groundwater. The groundwater colloids were found to be moderately stable under the groundwater conditions of the KURT site. Consequently, the groundwater colloids in the fractured granite system of the KURT site can form stable radiocolloids and increase the mobility of radionuclides if they associate with radionuclides released from a radioactive waste repository. The results provide basic data for evaluating the effects of groundwater colloids on radionuclide migration in fractured granite rock, which is necessary for the safety assessment of a high-level radioactive waste repository.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
• /
• 2011.05a
• /
• pp.303-304
• /
• 2011

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.237-246
• /
• 2012

In this study, numerical model for transport of radionuclide and colloid was developed. In order to solve reaction-migration governing equation for colloid and radionuclide, Strang-splitting Sequential Non-Iterative (SNI), which is one of Operator Splitting Method, was used for numerical method and this was coded by MATLAB. From the verification by comparing the simulation results with analytical solution considering only solute transport and rock diffusion, the Pearson's correlation coefficient was greater than 0.99 which demonstrates the accuracy of the model.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.38 no.6
• /
• pp.459-482
• /
• 2006

A geochemical approach to the long-term safety of waste disposal is discussed in connection with the significance of actinides, which shall deliver the major radioactivity inventory subsequent to the relatively short-term decay of fission products. Every power reactor generates transuranic (TRU) elements: plutonium and minor actinides (Np, Am, Cm), which consist chiefly of long-lived nuclides emitting alpha radiation. The amount of TRU actinides generated in a fuel life period is found to be relatively small (about 1 wt% or less in spent fuel) but their radioactivity persists many hundred thousands years. Geological confinement of waste containing TRU actinides demands, as a result, fundamental knowledge on the geochemical behavior of actinides in the repository environment for a long period of time. Appraisal of the scientific progress in this subject area is the main objective of the present paper. Following the introductory discussion on natural radioactivities, the nuclear fuel cycle is briefly brought up with reference to actinide generation and waste disposal. As the long-term disposal safety concerns inevitably with actinides, the significance of the aquatic actinide chemistry is summarized in two parts: the fundamental properties relevant to their aquatic behavior and the geochemical reactions in nanoscopic scale. The constrained space of writing allows discussion on some examples only, for which topics of the primary concern are selected, e.g. apparent solubility and colloid generation, colloid-facilitated migration, notable speciation of such processes, etc. Discussion is summed up to end with how to make a geochemical approach available for the long-term disposal safety of nuclear waste or for the performance assessment (PA) as known generally.