• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.1206-1212
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• 2022

Cold-crucible induction melting (CCIM) technology has been intensively studied as an advanced vitrification process for the immobilization of highly radioactive waste. This technology uses high-frequency induction to melt a glass matrix and waste, while the outer surface of the crucible is water-cooled, resulting in the formation of a frozen glass layer (skull). In this study, for the fabrication of borosilicate glass waste form, CCIM operation test with 60 kg of glass per batch was conducted using surrogate wastes composed of Cs, Sr, and Nd as a representative of highly radioactive nuclides generated during spent nuclear fuel management. A 60 kg-scale glass waste form was successfully fabricated through melting and draining processes using a CCIM system, and its physicochemical properties were analyzed. In particular, to enhance the controllability and reliability of the draining process, an air-cooling drain control method that can control draining through air-cooling near drain holes was developed, and its validity for draining control was verified. The method can offer controllability on various draining processes, such as molten salt or molten metal draining processes, and can be applied to a process requiring high throughput draining.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.650-654
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• 2003

A major problem of nuclear energy is the production of radioactive wastes. Needs for more environmentally favorable method to decontaminate radioactive contaminants make the use of liqui $d^ercritical $CO_2$ as a solvent medium. In removing radioactive metallic contaminants under $CO_2$ solvent, two methods - use of chelating ligands and that of water in $CO_2$ emulsion-are possible. In the chelating ligand method, a combination of ligands that can make synergistic effects seems important. We discuss about the properties of microemulsion formed by F-AOT and that by non-ionic surfactant. By adding acid in water core, decontamination of metallic parts, soils were possible. The rate of metal surface dissolution to the microemulsion solution was measured by QCM. The possibility of recovering the surfactants after use is also mentioned.ed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.1830-1837
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• 2023

The thermal cutting of contaminated or activated metals during decommissioning nuclear power plants inevitably results in the release of radioactive aerosol. Since radioactive aerosols are pernicious particles that contribute to the internal dose of workers, air conditioning units with a HEPA filter are used to remove radioactive aerosols. However, a HEPA filter cannot be used permanently. This study evaluates the efficiency and lifetime of filters in actual metal cutting condition using a plasma arc cutter and a high-resolution aerosol detector. The number concentration and size distribution of aerosols from 6 nm to 10 ㎛ were measured on both the upstream and downstream sides of the filter. The total aerosol removal efficiency of HEPA filter satisfies the standard of removing at least 99.97% of 0.3 ㎛ airborne particles, even if the pressure drop increases due to dust feeding load. The pressure drop and particle size removal efficiency at 0.3 ㎛ of the HEPA filter were found to increase with repeated cutting experiments. By contrast, the efficiency of used HEPA filter reduced in removing nano-sized aerosols by up to 79.26%. Altogether, these results can be used to determine the performance guidance and replacement frequency of HEPA filters used in nuclear power plants.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.233-241
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• 2021

A series of three bench-scale experiments was performed to investigate the conversion of sodium metal to sodium chloride via reactions with non-metal and metal chlorides. Specifically, batches of molten sodium metal were separately contacted with ammonium chloride and ferrous chloride to form sodium chloride in both cases along with iron in the latter case. Additional ferrous chloride was added to two of the three batches to form low melting point consolidated mixtures of sodium chloride and ferrous chloride, whereas consolidation of a sodium-chloride product was performed in a separate batch. Samples of the products were characterized via X-ray diffraction to identify attendant compounds. The reaction of sodium metal with metered ammonium chloride particulate feeds proceeded without reaction excursions and produced pure colorless sodium chloride. The reaction of sodium metal with ferrous chloride yielded occasional reaction excursions as evidenced by temperature spikes and fuming ferrous chloride, producing a dark salt-metal mixture. This investigation into a method for controlled conversion of sodium metal to sodium chloride is particularly applicable to sodium containing elevated levels of radioactivity-including bond sodium from nuclear fuels-in remote-handled inert-atmosphere environments.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.199-203
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• 1971

The adsorption method for the determination of the formation constants of the metal complexes with organic acids was developed by using membrane filters. The adsorption method involved the measurements of radioactivities of the adsorbed metal on membrane filters and the filtrate solution after the radioactive metal ion were filtered through membrane filters in the presence of organic ions of varying concentration. Comparing the adsorption method with the ion exchange method, it was seen that the adsorption method was simpler and faster than the ion exchange method. As an example of the metal complex with organic acid yttrium citrate complex was chosen, and the formation constant of the complex obtained by the adsorption method showed $K_f=2.0{\times}10^{-4}(l. mole^{-1})$ at a pH of 7. Also the present study revealed that the carrierfree state of yttrium in aqueous solution was present in the completely ionized state.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2018.05a
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• pp.183-183
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• 2018

In this study, 5-bromo-2,9-bis(5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline (5-bromo-Ph4-BTPhen) was synthesized and evaluated for its ability to remove major radionuclides ($Cs^+$, $Sr^{2+}$, and $Co^{2+}$). The synthesized ligand removed both $Sr^{2+}$ and $Co^{2+}$ from $1mg\;L^{-1}$ aqueous solutions with extraction efficiencies of up to 99% at neutral and alkaline pH. The $Sr^{2+}$ and $Co^{2+}$ removal efficiencies decreased as a consequence of the higher bonding strengths of competing metal ions to the N-donor atoms in the cavity of the ligand; competing divalent ions affected the $Sr^{2+}$ and $Co^{2+}$ removal efficiencies more than monovalent ions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.1878-1886
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• 2021

For industrial package (IP)-type transport containers for radioactive materials, a free drop test should be conducted under regulatory conditions. Owing to various uncertainties observed during the drop test, errors in drop angles inevitably occur. In IP-type metal transport containers in which the container directly impacts onto a rigid target without any shock absorbing materials, the error in the drop angle due to a slight misalignment makes a significant difference from the ideal drop. In particular, in a vertical drop, the error in the drop angle causes a strong secondary impact. In this paper, a numerical method is proposed to estimate the error in the drop angle occurring during the test. To determine this error, an optimization method accompanying a computational drop analysis is proposed, and a surrogate model is introduced to ensure calculation efficiency. Effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by performing the verification and comparison between the test and the analysis applied with the drop angle error.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.109-116
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• 2003

The amount of radioactive waste is expected to be increased continuously because of the rapid growth of the domestic nuclear industry, full power operation of the HANARO reactor and the increased research activities of the nuclear fuel cycle. Accordingly the efforts are focused to achieve the handling of radioactive waste in safe and reduce the volume of radioactive waste. The PIEF is carrying out the PIE (post irradiation examination) of spent fuel rods related to the identification of cause defect and evaluation of integration safety. This study describes the technologies and experiences of compaction, shredding and cutting of the solid radioactive waste used in the PIE. The quantity of the high level waste was reduced by 1/12 using the 100-ton compressor installed in hot-cell. Also middle and low level waste was reduced by 1/8 using the 60-ton compressor installed in intervention area. Plastic drums were shredded by crusher to be compacted in the ratio of 1/5, used filters in the ratio of 1/6 and the number of drum is also reduced by cutting procedure for the non-volatile materials such as metal.

• Proceedings of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society Conference
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• 2002.08a
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• pp.72-72
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• 2002

In most traditional sorption study in environmental conditions, experimental sorption data have been measured and interpreted by empirical ways such as partition coefficient and sorption isotherms. A mechanistic understanding of heavy metal interactions with various minerals (metal oxides, clay minerals) in aqueous medium is required to describe the behavior of radioactive metal ions in the environment. Various spectroscopic methods provide direct or indirect information on sorption mechanisms involved. We applied EPR (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance) spectroscopy to investigate the nature of metal ion sorption at water/mineral interfaces using Cu(II) as a spin probe. The major sorbed species and their motional state was identified by their EPR spectra. They showed distinct signals due to their strength of binding, local structure and motional state. The EPR results together with macroscopic sorption data show that sorption involved at least three different mechanisms depending on chemical environments (1).

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.99-107
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• 2000

Through the results of off-gas analysis at 3 sampling points in Plasma Arc Melting vitrification pilot plant, it was evaluated the partitioning of spiked materials in off-gas and the decontamination characteristic of off-gas treatment system. Spiked materials are hazard_us heavy metals(Pb, Cd, Hg), radioactive surrogate(Co, Cs) and radioactive materials($^{60}Co,\;^{137}Cs$). Through the Trial burn tests, Decontamination factor of spiked materials in off-gas treatment system is calculated.