• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.167-183
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• 2023

Gases originated from the final SNF (spent nuclear fuel) disposal site are very mobile in the barrier and they may also affect the migration of radioactive nuclides generated from the SNF. Mechanisms of gas-nuclide migration in the multi-barrier and their influences on the safety of the disposal site should be understood before the construction of the final SNF disposal site. However, researches related to gas-nuclide coupled movement in the multi-barrier medium have been very little both at home and abroad. In this study, properties of gas generation and migration in the SNF disposal environment were reviewed through previous researches and their main mechanisms were summarized on the hydrogeological evolution stage of the SNF disposal site. Gas generation in the SNF disposal site was categorized into five origins such as the continuous nuclear fission of the SNS, the Cu-canister corrosion, the oxidation-reduction reaction, the microbial activity, and the inflow from the natural barriers. Migration scenarios of gas in porous medium of the multi-barrier in the SNF repository site were investigated through reviews for previous studies and several gas migration types including ① the free gas phase flow including visco-capillary two-phase flow, ② the advection and diffusion of dissolved gas in pore water, ③ dilatant two-phase flow, and ④ tensile fracture flow, were presented. Reviewed results in this study can support information to design the further research for the gas-nuclide migration in the repository site and to evaluate the safety of the Korean SNF disposal site in view points of gas migration in the multi-barrier.

• Plant Journal
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.58-65
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• 2023

In this study, to increase the methane content of biogas supplied from Nanji Water Regeneration Center and to purify impurities, a three-stage membrane purification process was designed and installed to demonstrate operation. The methane concentration of biomethane produced in the 2 Nm3/h purification process was set to three cases: 95%, 96.5%, and 98%, and the membrane area ratio of the membrane was 1:1, 1:2, 1:1:1, The optimum conditions for the membrane area of the separator were derived by changing to five of 1:2:1 and 1:2:2. 3 stage separation membrane process of 30 Nm3/h was installed to reflect the optimum condition of 2 Nm3/h, and biomethane production of 98% or more of methane concentration was demonstrated. As a result of the operation of the 2 Nm³/h refining device, the methane recovery rate at the 98% methane concentration was 95.6% when the membrane area ratio was 1:1 as the result of the two-stage operation of the separator, and the recovery rate of methane at 1:2 was increased to 96.8%. The methane recovery rate of the membrane three-stage operation was highest at 96.8% when the membrane area ratio was operated at 1:2:1. The carbon dioxide removal rate was 16.4 to 96.4% and the 2:2 to 95.7% film area ratio in the two-step process. In the three-step process, the film area ratio was 1:2:1 to 95.4%, and the two-step process showed higher results than the three-step process. In the 30 Nm3/h scale biogas purification demonstration operation, the methane concentration after purification was 98%, the recovery rate of methane was 97.1%, the removal rate of carbon dioxide was 95.7%, and hydrogen sulfide, the cause of corrosion, was not detected, and the membrane area ratio was 1:2:1 demonstration operation, biomethane production with a methane concentration of 98% or higher was possible.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.543-553
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• 2023

The current status of domestic a agalmatolite mines in South Korea was investigated with a view to establishing a stable supply of agalmatolite and managing its demand. Most mined agalmatolite deposits were formed through hydrothermal alteration of Mesozoic volcanic rocks. The physical characteristics of pyrophyllite, the main constituent mineral of agalmatolite, are as follows: specific gravity 2.65~2.90, hardness 1~2, density 1.60~1.80 g/cm³, refractoriness ≥29, and color white, gray, grayish white, grayish green, yellow, or yellowish green. Among the chemical components of domestic agalmatolite, SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ contents are respectively 58.2~67.2 and 23.1~28.8 wt.% for pyrophyllite, 49.2~72.6 and 16.5~31.0 wt.% for pyrophyllite + dickite, 45.1 and 23.3 wt.% for pyrophyllite + illite, 43.1~82.3 and 11.4~35.8 wt.% for illite, and 37.6~69.0 and 19.6~35.3 wt.% for dickite. Domestic agalmatolite mines are concentrated mainly in the southwest and southeast of the Korean Peninsula, with some occurring in the northeast. Twenty-one mines currently produce agalmatolite in South Korea, with reserves in the order of Jeonnam (45.6%) > Chungbuk (30.8%) > Gyeongnam (13.0%) > Gangwon (4.8%), and Gyeongbuk (4.8%). The top 10 agalmatolite-producing mines are in the order of the Central Resources Mine (37.9%) > Wando Mine (25.6%) > Naju Ceramic Mine (13.4%) > Cheongseok-Sajiwon Mine (5.4%) > Gyeongju Mine (5.0%) > Baekam Mine (5.0%) > Minkyung-Nohwado Mine (3.3%) > Bugok Mine (2.3%) > Jinhae Pylphin Mine (2.2%) > Bohae Mine. Agalmatolite has low thermal conductivity, thermal expansion, thermal deformation, and expansion coefficients, low bulk density, high heat and corrosion resistance, and high sterilization and insecticidal efficiency. Accordingly, it is used in fields such as refractory, ceramic, cement additive, sterilization, and insecticide manufacturing and in filling materials. Its scope of use is expanding to high-tech industries, such as water treatment ceramic membranes, diesel exhaust gas-reduction ceramic filters, glass fibers, and LCD panels.