• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
• /
• 2005.10a
• /
• pp.215-216
• /
• 2005

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.361-367
• /
• 1983

The selective separation and the quantitative recovery of uranium from Korean monazite sand have been studied by anion-exchange chromatography. It has been shown that method of anion-exchange chromatography under controlled conditions of elution can be applied to the production of relatively high purity of Uranium Oxide from monazite sand. Under the optimum separation conditions, the recoveries from standard sample were up to 99.3% as $U_3O_8$ on sulfate form anion resin bed and 99.2% as $U_2O_3{\cdot}P_2O_7$ on phosphate form anion resin bed. The possibility of recovering uranium from the monazite sulfate solution using a strong base anion exchange resin-Amberlite IRA-900. Uranium was successfully recovered about 92 percent. Phosphate ion did not seem to interfere with the process.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.143-147
• /
• 2008

U(IV) ion, the valance state of uranium presumed at in a deep-depth disposal of a spent fuel, was prepared and separated from U(VI) ion. In order to prepare U(IV) ion, tests were performed by adding several reducing agents into a uranyl solution or by dissolution of uranium oxide in a mixed acid added with a reducing agent. The valance states of the uranium in the prepared solutions were identified by separating two ions with a Dowex AG 50W-X8 cation exchange resins and measuring the solutions using a laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. However, U(IV) and U(VI) were not separated by a Lichroprep Si60 exchange resin in the same separation condition of Pu(IV) and Pu(VI).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.245-258
• /
• 1989

A 69-group cross section library consisting of more than 130 materials was generated for thermal reactor applications using the NJOY nuclear data processing system and the recent version of evaluated nuclear data files available from IAEA Nuclear Data Section. The multigroup library was validated through the analysis of various criticality experiments and depletion results of PWR. When used with the WIMS-KAERI code, the average $K_{eff}$ obtained for 47 uranium-oxide and 41 uranium metal fueled critical configurations is 0.9997 with a standard deviation of 0.69 percent. The calculated burnup dependent isotopic inventories of uranium and plutonium generally show good agreement with measured values obtained from depleted PWR pins.s.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.131-144
• /
• 2010

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has been developing pyroprocessing technology for recycling useful resources from spent fuel since 1997. The process includes pretreatment, electroreduction, electrorefining, electrowinning, and a waste salt treatment system. This paper briefly addresses unit processes and related innovative technologies. As for the electroreduction step, a stainless steel mesh basket was applied for adaption of granules of uranium oxide. This basket was designed for ready handling and transfer of feed material. A graphite cathode was used for the continuous collection of uranium dendrite in the electrorefining system. This enhances the throughput of the electrorefiner. A particular mesh type stirrer was designed to inhibit uranium spill-over at the liquid Cd crucible. A residual actinide recovery system was also tested to recover TRU tracer. In order to reduce the waste volume, a crystallization method is employed for Cs and Sr removal. Experiments on the unit processes were tested successfully, and based on the results, engineering-scale equipment has been designed for the PRIDE (PyRoprocess Integrated inactive DEmonstration facility).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.52 no.8
• /
• pp.1714-1723
• /
• 2020

This study aims at characterizing the rheological properties of uranium oxide powders for nuclear fuel pellets manufacturing. The flowability of these powders must be compatible with a reproducible filling of press molds. The particle size distribution is known to have an impact on the rheological properties and fine particles (<100 ㎛) are suspected to have a detrimental effect. In this study, the impact of the particle size distribution on the rheological properties of UO₂ powders was quantified, focusing on the influence of fine particles. Two complementary approaches were used. The first approach involved characterizing the powder in a static state: density, compressibility and shear test measurements were used to understand the behavior of the powder when it is transitioned from a static to a dynamic state (i.e., incipient flow conditions). The second approach involved characterizing the behavior of the powder in a dynamic state. Two zones, corresponding to two characteristic behaviors, were demonstrated for both types of measurements. The obtained results showed the amount of fines should be kept below 10 % wt to ensure a robust mold filling operation (i.e., constant mass and production rate).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.40 no.7
• /
• pp.581-592
• /
• 2008

In this study, a conceptual pyroprocess flowsheet has been devised by combining several dry-type unit processes; its applicability as an alternative fuel cycle technology was analyzed. A key point in the evaluation of its applicability to the fuel cycle was the recovery yield of fissile materials from spent fuels as well as the proliferation resistance of the process. The recovery yields of uranium and transuranic elements (TRU) were obtained from a material balance for every unit process composing the whole pyroprocess. The material balances for several elemental groups of interest such as uranium, TRU, rare earth, gaseous fission products, and heat generating elements were calculated on the basis of the knowledge base that is available from domestic and foreign experimental results or technical information presented in open literature. The calculated result of the material balance revealed that uranium and TRU could be recovered at 98.0% and 97.0%, respectively, from a typical PWR spent fuel. Furthermore, the anticipated TRU product was found to emit a non-negligible level of $\gamma$-ray and a significantly higher level of neutrons compared to that of a typical plutonium product obtained from the PUREX process. The results indicate that the product from this conceptual pyroprocessing should be handled in a shielded cell and that this will contribute favorably to retaining proliferation resistance.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.16 no.6
• /
• pp.431-437
• /
• 2003

Metalization yield of uranium oxide to uranium metal from lithium reduction process of spent pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuels was measured using thermogravimetric analyzer. A reduced metal produced in the process was divided into a solid and a powder part, and each metalization yield was measured. Metalization yield of the solid part was 90.7~95.9 wt%, and the powder being 77.8~71.5 wt% individually. Oxidation behaviour of the quartemary alloy was investigated to take data on the thermal oxidation stability necessary for the study on dry storage of the reduced metal. At $600{\sim}700^{\circ}C$, weight increments of alloy of Mo, Ru, Rh and Pd was 0.40~0.55 wt%. Phase change on the surface of the alloy was started at $750^{\circ}C$. In particular, Mo was rapidly oxidized and then the alloy lost 0.76~25.22 wt% in weight.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.315-319
• /
• 2015

A high-throughput electrorefiner has been developed for commercialization use by enhancing the uranium recovery from the reduced metal which is produced from the oxide reduction process. It is necessary to scrap and effectively collect uranium dendrites from the surface of the solid cathode for high yield. When a steel electrode is used as the cathode in the electrorefining process, uranium is deposited and regularly stuck to the steel cathode during electrorefining. The sticking coefficient of a steel cathode is very high. In order to decrease the sticking coefficient of the steel cathode effectively, vibration mode was applied to the electrode in this study. Uranium dendrites were scraped and fell apart from the steel cathode by a vibration force. The vibrational scraping of the steel cathode was compared to the self-scraping of the graphite cathode. Effects of the applied current density and the vibration stroke on the scraping of the uranium dendrites were also investigated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
• /
• 2004.10a
• /
• pp.811-811
• /
• 2004