• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2012

A porous $TiO_2$ pellet was electrochemically converted to the metallic titanium by using a $CaCl_2$ molten salt system at $850^{\circ}C$. Ni-$TiO_2$ and graphite electrodes were used as cathode and anode, respectively. The electrochemical behaviour of $TiO_2$ pellet was determined by a constant voltage control electrolysis. Various reaction intermediates such as $CaTiO_3$, $Ti_2O$ and $Ti_6O$ were observed by XRD analysis during electrolysis of the pellet. Once $TiO_2$ pellet was converted to a porous metallic structure, the porous structure disappeared by sintering and shrinking with increasing the reaction time at high temperature.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.296-296
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• 2009

산화물 사용후핵연료를 대상으로 하는 파이로 공정은 고온 용융염 매질에서 산화물을 금속으로 전환시키는 전해환원 공정으로부터 시작된다. 이후, 전해정련 공정이 도입되어 전해환원 공정에서 금속으로 환원된 생성물을 처리하게 된다. 전기화학적 공정인 이 두 공정에는 전류전달 매질인 전해질로 용융염이 사용된다. 그러나 전해환원 공정은 LiCl 염을 기반으로 하는 반면 전해정련은 LiCl-KCl 공융염 조건에서 운전하여 두 공정의 연계성 향상 및 공정 안정성 확보를 위해서는 전해환원 공정에서 생성되는 금속전환체에 존재하는 잔류염을 제거하는 공정의 도입이 두 공정사이에 고려되고 있다. 전해환원 공정에서 산화물이 금속으로 환원되는 동안 고체입자의 외형이 유지되며 따라서 제거된 산소에 의해 금속전환체에는 공극이 발생하게 된다. 또한, 전해환원에 도입되는 산화물의 물리적 형태가 분말 또는 펠렛 등 다양한 형태로 도입 가능하여 단위 입자들 사이에 많은 공극이 발생하게 된다. 이렇게 기존재하거나 또는 공정 운전에 의해 새롭게 생성된 공극에는 전해환원 매질인 LiCl 염이 침투하여 금속전환체는 염에 의해 젖게 되며 공정 종료시 고화되어 금속전환체에 포함된다. LiCl을 제거하기 위해서는 가열에 의한 증류가 연구되고 있다. 그러나 LiCl의 낮은 증기압에 의해 비교적 낮은 온도에서 증발시키기 위해서는 감압조건이 필수적으로 고려되어야 한다. 한국원자력연구원에서는 다공성 모의 금속전환체를 사용하여 LiCl에 의한 Wetting 후 적절한 증발 조건 결정을 목적으로 온도 및 압력 조건 설정을 위한 기초실험에 결과를 수행하였다. 본 연구의 기초 실험 결과 $700^{\circ}C$온도 조건과 감압조건이 잔류염 제거를 위한 공정조건임을 밝혔다. 또한 모의 금속전환체를 담고 있는 미세 다공성 Basket은 고온조건에서 공극의 변형에 의해 증발에 대한 저항으로 작용하여 증발 효율을 저하시키는 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 잔류염 제거를 위해서는 전해환원 Basket이 비교적 큰 공극을 지녀야 할 것으로 판단된다.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.121-129
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• 2015

The platinum anode for the electrolytic reduction process is generally surrounded by a nonporous ceramic shroud with an open bottom to offer a path for $O_2$ gas produced on the anode surface and prevent the corrosion of the electrolytic reducer. However, the $O^{2-}$ ions generated from the cathode are transported only in a limited fashion through the open bottom of the anode shroud because the nonporous shroud hinders the transport of the $O^{2-}$ ions to the anode surface, which leads to a decrease in the current density and an increase in the operation time of the process. In the present study, we demonstrate the electrolytic reduction of 1 kg-uranium oxide ($UO_2$) using the porous shroud to investigate its long-term stability. The $UO_2$ with the size of 1~4mm and the density of $10.30{\sim}10.41g/cm^3$ was used for the cathode. The platinum and 5-layer STS mesh were used for the anode and its shroud, respectively. After the termination of the electrolytic reduction run in 1.5 wt.% $Li_2O-LiCl$ molten salt, it was revealed that the U metal was successfully converted from the $UO_2$ and the anode and its shroud were used without any significant damage.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.15-24
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• 2014

This study was performed to investigate the removal characteristics of heavy metals in Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) using pellet-type Zeolite-StarFish ceramics (ZSF ceramics), in which natural zeolite and starfish were mixed and calcined with wood flour. Kinetic experiment showed the removal reaction of heavy metals by ZSF ceramics reached the equilibrium status within 3 hours. The optimal calcination temperature range for removal of heavy metals was measured to be $800{\sim}1,000^{\circ}C$. The calcination time had little effect on the removal of heavy metal in AMD. The adequate dose of ceramics was shown to be 1.0~1.2 % for removal of heavy metals in AMD. High removal efficiencies of heavy metals (Al, As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) in AMD, more than 95 % except for Pb, were obtained under the condition of dose of ceramics more than 1.0 %. The removal efficiencies of heavy metals increased with increasing mixing concentration of wood flour. The adequate mixing concentration of wood flour was observed to be 10 %. The batch experimental results exhibited that the ZSF ceramics could act as an efficient ceramics for removal of heavy metals in AMD and the wood flour could provide porous ZSF ceramics with enhanced removal efficiency of heavy metals.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.16-23
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• 2009

The porous pellets were prepared from porphyry by slurry foaming method. The effect of sintering temperatures on pore structure of porous porphyry pellets with different extension ratio ($E_R$) was investigated by specific surface area, water absorption and porosity, which changed with sintering temperatures. When the sintering temperatures increased from $975^{\circ}C$ to $1075^{\circ}C$, specific surface area and water absorption of the all samples decreased. In case of the sample with an equal sintering temperature, $E_R=3.0$ pellets had little influence on pore structure compared to the $E_R=2.0$ pellets. As a results, it was shown by SEM that facilitated formation of micro pores at $E_R=2.0$ pellets shrunk increasingly after sintering process. At $E_R=3.0$ and sintering temperature at $1025^{\circ}C$, optimum conditions of the porous porphyry porous pellets was found. Also, Escherichia coli removal efficiency of the silver-containing porphoyry porous pellets was measured for the feasibility as a antibacterial media. The antibacterial activity of prepared silver-containing sample was maintained above 90% for 40 days.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.694-702
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• 2014

The micron-sized ITO(indium tin oxide) particles were prepared by spray pyrolysis from aqueous precursor solutions for indium, and tin and organic additives solution. Organic additives solution with citric acid(CA) and ethylene glycol(EG) were added to aqueous precursor solution for Indium and Tin. The obtained ITO particles prepared by spray pyrolysis from the aqueous solution without organic additives solution had spherical and filled morphologies whereas the obtained ITO particles with organic additives solution had more hollow and porous morphologies with increasing mole of organic additives. The micron-sized ITO particle with organic additives was changed fully to nano-sized ITO particle whereas the micron-sized ITO particle without organic additives was not changed fully to nano-sized ITO particle after post-treatment at $700^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours and wet-ball milling for 24 hours. The size of primary ITO particle by Debye-Scherrer formula and surface resistance of ITO pellet were measured.