Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT) (방사성폐기물학회지)

Korean Radioactive Waste Society (한국방사성폐기물학회)
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Scaling Up Fabrication of UO2 Porous Pellet With a Simulated Spent Fuel Composition

모의 사용후핵연료 조성의 UO2 다공성펠렛 제조 스케일 업

  • Received : 2017.02.06
  • Accepted : 2017.12.18
  • Published : 2017.12.30
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Abstract

Processing and equipment were tailored for engineering scale fabrication of $UO_2$ porous pellets, a feed material for the electrolytic reduction process in the PRIDE (PyRoprocessing Integrated DEmonstration) facility at KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute). The starting materials, $UO_2$ powder and pre-milled surrogate oxide powders, were proportioned to simulate the chemical composition of spent fuel (so-called Simfuel). The Simfuel powders were homogenized by mixing, compacted into a pellet shape, and finally heat treated using a tumbling mixer, rotary press, and sintering furnace. After sintering at $1450^{\circ}C$ for 24 h in $4%\;H_2-Ar$, the average bulk density of the $UO_2$ Simfuel pellets was $6.89g{\cdot}cm^{-3}$, which meets the standard of the following electrolytic reduction process. In addition, the results of a microstructural analysis demonstrated that the sintered Simfuel $UO_2$ porous pellets accurately simulate the properties of spent fuel in terms of the formation of second phases. These results provide essential information for the massive fabrication of $UO_2$ porous pellets for engineering scale pyroprocessing research.

KAERI의 PRIDE 시설에서 공학규모의 전해환원용 원료물질인 $UO_2$ 다공성펠렛 제조를 위해 공정과 장치를 최적화시킨 내용을 다루었다. $UO_2$ 분말과 별도로 attrition 밀링된 대용산화물 분말을 출발분말로, 정밀 칭량을 통해 사용후핵연료 조성을 모사하였다(Simfuel). Simfuel 분말은 각각 tumbling mixer로 혼합하여 균질화 하고, rotary press로 성형하여 furnace를 이용해 소결하였다. $4%\;H_2-Ar$ 분위기에서 $1450^{\circ}C$ 24시간 고온 열처리하여 제조된 소결펠렛은 $6.89g{\cdot}cm^{-3}$의 벌크밀도를 가지며 이는 후속 전해환원 공정의 요구에 부합한다. 소결된 다공성펠렛의 미세구조 관찰을 통해 다공성 기지상과 함께 산화/금속 석출물이 관찰되어 사용후핵연료의 상이 모사됨을 확인하였다. 본 결과는 향후 공학규모 이상의 파이로 연구를 위한 $UO_2$ 다공성펠렛 제조에 중요한 기초자료로 활용 될 것이다.

Keywords

References

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