• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.171-177
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• 2007

This study suggested a new method to stabilize molten salt wastes generated from the pyre-process for the spent fuel treatment. Using conventional sol-gel process, $SiO_2-Al_2O_3-P_2O_5$ (SAP) inorganic material that is reactive to metal chlorides were prepared. In this paper, the reactivity of SAP with the metal chlorides at $650{\sim}850$, the thermal stability of reaction products and their leach-resistance under the PCT-A test method were investigated. Alkali metal chlorides were converted into metal aluminosilicate($LixAlxSi1-_xO_{2-x}$) and metal phosphate($Li_3PO_4\;and\;Cs_2AlP_3O_{10}$) While alkali earth and rare earth chlorides were changed into only metal phosphates ($Sr_5(PO_4)_3Cl\;and\;CePO_4$). The conversion rate was about $96{\sim}99%$ at a salt waste/SAP weight ratio of 0.5 and a weight loss up to $1100^{\circ}C$ measured by thermogravimetric analysis were below 1wt%. The leach rates of Cs and Sr under the PCT-A test condition were about $10^{-2}g/m^2\;day\;and\;10^{-4}g/m^2\;day$. From these results, it could be concluded that SAP can be considered as an effective stabilizer for metal chlorides and the method using SAP will give a chance to reduce the volume of salt wasteform for the final disposal through further researches.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.90-97
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• 2018

The quantities of electronic waste have been increased rapidly, and was caused variety problems such as environmental pollution or dissipation of resource. So, it needed to development of recycling technology about heavy metal in the electronic waste. Meanwhile, filler material (concrete or mortar) was used for shielding radioactive waste, however, it did not used materials that it is proved radiation shielding performance. So, there is a lack of confidence in the shielding performance. Therefore, in this paper, mechanical properties of concrete was evaluated for the applicability using electronic waste as fine aggregate of filler material. From the test results, compressive and flexural strength and elasticity modulus and the micro pore in the $1{\mu}m$ range was significantly affected by substitution of electronic waste, however, it could be improved the performance by using mineral admixture as binder. So, it is shown that the electronic waste could be applicable as fine aggregate of filler material.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2012

Metal chloride waste is generated as a main waste streams in a series of electrolytic processes of a pyrochemical process. Different from carbonate or nitrate salt, metal chloride is not decomposed into oxide and chlorine but it is just vaporized. Also, it has low compatibility with conventional silicate glasses. Our research group adapted the dechlorination approach for the immobilization of waste salt. In this study, the composition of SAP ($SiO_2-Al_2O_3-P_2O_5$) was adjusted to enhance the reactivity and to simplify the solidification process as a subsequent research. The addition of $Fe_2O_3$ into the basic SAP decreased the SAP/Salt ratio in weight from 3 for SAP 1071 to 2.25 for M-SAP( Fe=0.1). The experimental results indicated that the addition of $Fe_2O_3$ increased the reactivity of M-SAP with LiCl-KCl but the reactivity gradually decreased above Fe=0.1. Also, introducing $B_2O_3$ into M-SAP requires no glass binder for the consolidation of reaction products. U-SAP ($SiO_2-Al_2O_3-Fe_2O_3-P_2O_5-B_2O_3$) could effectively dechlorinate the LiCl-KCl waste and its reaction product could be consolidated as a monolithic form without a glass binder. The leaching test result indicated that U-SAP 1071 was more durable than other SAPs wasteform. By using U-SAP, 1 g of waste salt could generated 3~4 g of wasteform for final disposal. The final volume would be about 3~4 times lower than the glass-bonded sodalite. From these results, it could be concluded that the dechlorination approach using U-SAP would be one of prospective methods to manage the volatile waste salt.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.505-517
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• 2016

The structural integrity of a dual-purpose metal cask currently under development by the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD) was evaluated, through numerical simulations and a model test, under high-speed missile impact reflecting targeted aircraft crash conditions. The impact conditions were carefully chosen through a survey on accident cases and recommendations from literature. In the impact scenario, a missile flying horizontally hits the top side of the cask, which is freestanding on a concrete pad, with a velocity of 150 m/s. A simplified missile simulating a commercial aircraft engine was designed from an impact loade-time function available in literature. In the analyses, the dynamic behavior of the metal cask and the integrity of the containment boundary were assessed. The simulation results were compared with the test results for a 1:3 scale model. Although the dynamic behavior of the cask in the model test did not match exactly with the prediction from the numerical simulation, other structural responses, such as the acceleration and strain history during the impact, showed very good agreement. Moreover, the containment function of the cask survived the missile impact as expected from the numerical simulation. Thus, the procedure and methodology adopted in the structural numerical analyses were successfully validated.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.22-27
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• 1997

Recycling of radioactively contaminated metal wasles is very attractive to reduce thc final disposal volumc of the radioactive wastes, thereby maximizing the usage of nahrral rzsuunts and minimizmg the detrimental effects of thz rzdioaclive wastes on the environment. In the recycling process, many complicated processes arc involved. Among those processes the 'surface contamination removal techniques such as physical, chemical and electrochern~calm ethods are the most critical and Ircquently applied in accordance with the contamination characteristics and the chemical compositions of the metal wastes. In this sludy, the sulfuric acid-cerium method and electmchemical methods were applied lu removc the conatiminated suhce. The results showed the surface contaminalion could he lowered to the background levcl by lhasc mclhods.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.293-300
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• 2005

Ultrasonic decontamination of the type 304 stainless steel specimen loosely contaminated with $Eu_2O_3$ powders was investigated. Decontamination factors (DFs) by the three kinds of ultrasonic media such as water, pure PFC (Pefluorocarbon, $C_7F_{16}$) and a mixed solution of $99.9\;vol\%\;PFC\;and\;0.1\;vol\%$ anionic surfactant were determined. The determined DF values were 20, 50 and 200, respectively. This significant difference in the decontamination factors for the different decontamination solution was well explained by the surface tension of the media as well as the interaction between the positively charged surface of $Eu_2O_3$ powders and the anionic surfactant. Ultrasonic decontamination behavior of the loosely contaminated metal specimens such as plate, pipe, welding specimen and crevice specimen in the mixed solution of PFC and anionic surfactant was also investigated. The contaminants were completely removed for the tested specimens except for the longest specimen. For 6-cm long pipe specimen, however, $98.5\%$ of the contaminants were removed.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.55-64
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• 2023

There is a gap in our understanding of the behavior of fused and molten fuel salts containing unavoidable contamination, such as those due to fabrication, handling, or storage. Therefore, this work used calorimetry to investigate the change in liquidus temperature of PuCl₃, having an unknown purity and that had been in storage for several decades. Further research was performed by additions of NaCl, making several compositions within the binary system, and summarizing the resulting changes, if any, to the phase diagram. The melting temperature of the PuCl₃ was determined to be 746.5℃, approximately 20℃ lower than literature reported values, most likely due to an excess of Pu metal in the PuCl₃ either due to the presence of metallic plutonium remaining from incomplete chlorination or due to the solubility of Pu in PuCl₃. From the melting temperature, it was determined that the PuCl₃ contained between 5.9 to 6.2mol% Pu metal. Analysis of the NaCl-PuCl₃ samples showed that using the Pu rich PuCl₃ resulted in significant changes to the NaCl-PuCl₃ phase diagram. Most notably an unreported phase transition occurring at approximately 406℃ and a new eutectic composition of 52.7mol% NaCl-38.7mol% PuCl₃-2.5mol% Pu which melted at 449.3℃. Additionally, an increase in the liquidus temperatures was seen for NaCl rich compositions while lower liquidus temperatures were seen for PuCl₃ rich compositions. It can therefore be concluded that changes will occur in the NaCl-PuCl₃ binary system when using PuCl₃ with excess Pu metal. However, melting temperature analysis can provide valuable insight into the composition of the PuCl₃ and therefore the NaCl-PuCl₃ system.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 2017

KAERI is conducting research on spent cladding hulls and additive metals to generate a solidification host matrix for the noble metal fission product waste in anode sludge from the electro-refining process to minimize the volume of waste that needs to be disposed of. In this study, alloy compositions Zr-17Cr, Zr-22Cr, and Zr-27Cr were prepared with or without eight noble metals representing fuel waste using induction melting. The microstructures of the resulting alloys were characterized and electrochemical corrosion tests were conducted to evaluate their corrosion characteristics. All the compositions had better corrosion characteristics than other Zr-based alloys that were evaluated for comparison. Analysis of the leach solution after the corrosion test of the Zr-22Cr-8NM specimen indicated that the noble metals were not leached during corrosion under 500 mV imposed voltage, which simulates a highly oxidizing disposal environment. The results of this study confirm that Zr-Cr based compositions will likely serve as chemically stable waste forms.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.171-178
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• 2008

Metal filter elements were newly introduced to the high temperature filter(HTF) system in the low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste vitrification plant. In order to evaluate the performance of various metal materials as filter media, elements made of AISI 316L, AISI 904L, and Inconel 600 were included to the test set of filter elements. At the visual inspection to the elements performed after completion of each test, a few dark spots were observed on the surface of some elements. Especially they were found much more at the AISI 316L elements than others. To check the dark spots are the corrosion phenomena or not, two kinds of analyses were performed to the tested filter elements. Firstly, the surfaces or the cross sections of filter specimens cut out from both normal area and dark spot area of elements were analyzed by SEM/EDS. The results showed that the dark spots were not evidences of corrosion but the deposition of sodium, sulfur and silica compounds volatilized from waste or molten glass. Secondly, the ring tensile strength were analyzed for the ring-shape filter specimens cut out from each kind of element. The result obtained from the strength tested showed no evidence of corrosion as well. Conclusionally, depending on the two kinds of analysis, no evidences of corrosion were found at the tested metal filter elements. But the dark spots formed on the surface could reduce the effective filtering area and increase the overall pressure drop of HTF system. Thus, continuous heating inside filter housing up to dew point will be required normally. And a few long-period test should be followed for the exact evaluation of corrosion of the metal filter elements.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.15 no.3 s.47
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• pp.146-153
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• 2006

A performance test of the stainless steel based sintered metal filter was conducted on the low and intermediate level radioactive waste (LILW) vitrification process. The applicability of the metal filter was based on the test results as well. The baseline pressure drop of the metal filter was evaluated similar to the ceramic filter. During the test, when the flow rate of off-gas was $110Nm^{3}/h$, the total baseline pressure drop was shown as $92mmH_{2}O$. The total pressure drop was attributed to the filter media and the residual dust layer and the value of each was $25mmH_{2}O\;and\;67mmH_{2}O$ respectively. The SEM-EDS spectrum and micrograph of the metal filter specimen showed, no corrosion and no physical damage both at the skin membrane and at the support layer. And most of the baseline pressure drop was caused by the deposition of dust on the surface of the membrane. In conclusion, even though the filter exposure time was short at the test, the performance of the stainless steel based metal filter was acceptable for the treatment of LILW vitrification process.