• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 2013

Bentonite is generally used as a buffer material in high-level radioactive waste disposal facilities and consists of 50% quartz by weight. Quartz strongly affects the behavior of bentonite over very long periods. For this reason, quartz dissolution experiment was performed under high-pressure and high-alkalinity conditions based on the conditions found in a high-level radioactive waste disposal facility located deep underground. In this study, two quartz dissolution experiments were conducted on 1) quartz beads under low-pressure and high-alkalinity conditions and 2) a single quartz crystal under high-pressure and high-alkalinity conditions. Following the experiments, a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) was used to observe the surfaces of experimental samples. Numerical analyses using the finite element method (FEM) were also performed to quantify the deformation of contact area. Quartz dissolution was observed in both experiments. This deformation was due to a concentrated compressive stress field, as indicated by the quartz deformation of the contact area through the FEM analysis. According to the numerical results, a high compressive stress field acted upon the neighboring contact area, which showed a rapid dissolution rate compared to other areas of the sample.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2015

Deep geological disposal is the preferred storage method for high-level radioactive waste, because it ensures stable long-term storage with minimal potential for human disruption. Because of the risk of groundwater contamination, a buffer of steel and bentonite layers has been proposed to prevent the leaching of radionuclides into groundwater. Quartz is one of the most common minerals in earth's crust. To understand how deformation and dissolution phenomena affect waste disposal, here we study quartz samples at pressure, temperature, and pH conditions typical of deep geological disposal sites. We perform a dissolution experiment for single quartz crystals under different pressure and temperature conditions. Solution samples are collected and the dissolution rate is calculated by analyzing Si concentrations in a solution excited by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). After completing the dissolution experiment, deformation of the quartz sample surfaces is investigated with a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). An empirical formula is introduced that describes the relationship between dissolution rate, pressure, and temperature. These results suggest that bentonite layers in engineering barrier systems may be vulnerable to thermal deformation, even when exposed to higher temperatures on relatively short timescales.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.509-515
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• 2017

Quartz is the most abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust. Therefore, understanding of quartz dissolution and precipitation is very important to know about weathering processes and interactions between rocks and water in hydrothermal and metamorphic environments. This paper presents a basic review on the research about quartz dissolution mechanism under various physico-chemical conditions. We rearranged the relationship between each physico-chemical factor and dissolution mechanism from the results of previous researchers in this paper. From this result, we understood that quartz dissolution and precipitation are affected by each factor such as temperature, pH, and applied stress conditions at contact point. In particular, we recognized that the high pH and temperature conditions have different anion concentrations on mineral's surface. As a result, high pH and temperature conditions have a better effect than applied stress condition to the quartz dissolution mechanism.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.271-279
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• 2010

Time-dependent behavior similar to secondary deformation related to mineral dissolution is easily observed when performing a laboratory pressure experiment. In this research, to observe the dissolution of quartz found in bentonite used as buffer material for the geological disposal of high-level waste (HLW) under conditions of high pH, we calculated the diffusion of $OH^-$ ions and the behavior of quartz dissolution using the homogenization analysis method. The results reveal that the rate of quartz dissolution is proportional to the temperature and interlayer water thickness. In particular, in a high-pH environment, the reacted area (and therefore the dissolution rate) increases with decreasing interlayer water thickness.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.335-342
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• 2009

The effects of bacterial lysis on the rate of quartz dissolution were investigated under pH 7 condition using Bacillus subtilis cells which were either irradiated or non-irradiated with gamma ray. The amount of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) which resulted from bacterial lysis increased in slurries of quartz and bacteria mixture over experimental period. Lysis of non-irradiated bacteria led to the elevated concentration of dissolved silicon when compared with abiotic control. Concomitant increase in the amounts of DOC and dissolved silicon over time indicated that lixiviation of silicon from quartz was due to bacterial lysis. Higher amounts of DOC and dissolved silicon were present in the irradiated bacterial slurries than those of non-irradiated bacteria. The enhancement of quartz dissolution in the irradiated bacterial slurries was likely attributed to disruption of organic molecules in the bacterial cells by gamma ray and formation of effective ligands for quartz dissolution. The results suggest that the effects of bacterial lysis on mineral weathering rate should be considered for prediction of time for released radionuclides to migrate to surface biosphere in high level radioactive waste disposal site.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.261-265
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• 2003

Near-infrared (NIR) system was used to determine rapidly and simply indomethacin in buffer solution for a dissolution test of tablets and capsules. Indomethacin standards were prepared ranging from 10 to 50 ppm using the mixture of phosphate buffer (pH 7.2) and water (1 : 4). The near-infrared (NIR) transmittance spectra of indomethacin standard solutions were collected by using a quartz cell in 1 mm and 2 mm pathlength. Partial least square regression (PLSR) was explored to develop calibration models over the spectral range 1100∼1700 nm. The model using 1 mm quartz cell was better than that using 2 mm quartz cell. The PLSR models developed gave standard error of prediction (SEP) of 0.858 ppm. In order to validate the developed calibration model, routine analysis was performed using another standard solutions. The NIR routine analysis showed good correlation with actual values. Standard error of prediction (SEP) is 1.414 ppm for 7 indomethacin samples in routine analysis and its error was permeable in the regulation of Korean Pharmacopoeia (VII). These results show the potential use of the real time monitoring for indomethacin during a dissolution test.

• Journal of Korean Port Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.323-328
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• 1998

A quartz crystal analyzer is utilized to monitor the corrosion process of an aluminum surface of a quartz crystal for marine sensor by sea water. A quartz crystal having 2000 $\AA$ of aluminum layer is installed in a specially designed cell and is in contact with sea water imitated electrolyte solution. While a constant potential is applied to the cell, the resonant frequency and resonant resistance are simultaneously measured using the quartz crystal analyzer. In addition, surface topographs are taken with an atomic force microscope(AFM) and the element analysis of the surface is conducted using an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer(EDX). The simultaneous measurement of resonant frequency and resonant resistance during the corrosion process explains the change of surface structure caused by the corrosion. The variation of resonant frequency addresses the amount surface metal dissolution. As a conclusion, it is found that a simple measurement using the quartz crystal analyzer can replace the complex monitoring employing large equipments in the investigation of a corrosion process of sensor surface.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.183-188
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• 1998

A quartz crystal analyzer is utilized to monitor the cmsion process of an aluminum surface of a quartz crystal by sea water. A quartz crystal having 2000${\AA}$ of aluminum layer is installed in a spedally designed cell and is in contact with an electrolyte solution. While a constant potential is applied to the cell, the resonant frequency and resonant resistance are simultaneously measured using the quartz crystal analyzer. In addition, surface topographs are taken with an atomic force microscope(AFM) and the element analysis of the surface is conducted using an energy dispersive X-ray spectrornetedEDX). The simultaneous measurement of resonant frequency and resonant resistance during the corrosion process explains the change of surface structure caused by the corrosion. The variation of resonant frequency addresses the amount surface metal dissolution. As a conclusion, it is found that a simple measurement using the quartz crystal analyzer can replace the complex monitoring employing large equipments in the investigation of a corrosion process of metal surface.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.697-700
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• 2020

We report the synthesis and characterization of quartz nanocrystals (NCs). Quartz NCs were synthesized from the dissolution of amorphous silica nanoparticle precursors under the mild hydrothermal condition of ~250 ℃ and autogenic pressure. It was confirmed that the average size of the nanostructure with a highly crystalline phase of α-quartz can be tuned in a relatively narrow range from 407.5 to 826.2 nm with respect to the reaction time. α-Quartz NCs have potential uses for technological applications in optoelectronics, sensing, and rechargeable battery devices.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.25-34
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• 2020

Electrochemical Quartz Crystal microbalance is a tool that is capable of measuring nanogram-scale mass change on electrode surface. When applying alternating voltage to the quartz crystal with metal electrode formed on both sides, a resonant frequency by inverse piezoelectric effect depends on its thickness. The resonant frequency changes sensitively by mass change on its electrode surface; frequency increase with metal dissolution and decrease with metal deposition on the electrode surface. The relationship between resonant frequency and mass change is shown by Sauerbrey equation so that the mass change during metal dissolution can be measured in real time. Especially, it is effective in the case of reaction mechanism and rate studies accompanied by precipitation, volatilization, compound formation, etc. resulting in difficulties on ex-situ AA or ICP analysis. However, it should be carefully considered during EQCM experiments that temperature, viscosity, and hydraulic pressure of solution, and stress and surface roughness can affect on the resonant frequency. Application of EQCM was shown as a case study on leaching of platinum using aqueous chlorine for obtaining activation energy. A platinum electrode of quartz crystal oscillator with 1000 Å thickness exposed to solution was used as leaching sample. Electrogenerated chlorine as oxidant was purged and its concentration was controlled in hydrochloric acid solution. From the experimental results, platinum dissolution by chlorine is chemical reaction control with activation energy of 83.5 kJ/mol.