• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.89-100
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• 1999

This study was carried out to assess the physicochemical properties of domestic bentonites and zeolites from Tertiary Formation as the candidate material for a engineered barrier of a radioactive waste repository. Natural bentonite and zeolite samples were collected from nine bentonite mines and six zeolite mines in Yeonil-Gampo area. The commercial products of bentonite and zeolite were obtained from local companies. The collected samples were investigated to study the following physicochemical properties: X-ray diffraction patterns, swelling, cation exchange capacity(CEC), specific surface area, montmorillonite content, pH, organic carbon content, thermal property, microstruciure and chemical composition. Based on the physicochemical properties of bentonite and zeolite, the bentonites from U-41 and G-46 mines and the zeolites from Daedo and Y-1 mines are regarded as the most desirable candidate materials.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.312-323
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• 2015

This paper presents future directions for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste management. The successes and failures of siting nuclear waste repository experienced by the United States and other countries are reviewed with the current policy stance. Further, the needs for establishing management policy, considering the high-level radioactive waste produced by the dismantlement, nuclear security concerns, and cost-effectiveness analysis for the total nuclear fuel cycle, are emphasised. Technical discussions are organised into three main topics: interim storage, permanent disposal, and reprocessing. Licensing regimes are also investigated to suggest strategic plans for research and development programmes in the Republic of Korea.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.121-136
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• 1991

The focal mechanism of the Hongsung Earthquake (1978. Oct. 7, M$_L$=5.0, Latitude 36.62N, Longitude 1 26.67E) was evaulated using the polarity distribution of the P-Waveforms. Through the non-linear computer process, the compatibility of polarity distributions of the 9 P-Waveforms observed at teleseismic distances from the Hongsung Earthquake epicenter was investigated to those of the focal mechanism determined from the varying strike, dip and rake angles. The resultant values for the strike and dip angle of the principal fault plane, which apparently matches very well the sunface lineament of the Hongsung region, are determined to be about 247 degree and 78 degree with uncertainties, respectively. However, the rake angle of the focal mechanism has wide range of 40 degree to 160 degree, which is mainly due to the poor coverage of the azimuthal angle of the observed seismic stations. Due to the consistency of principal stress axes, the resultant focal mechanism could support the current stress regime of that region, which may be caused by subduction of the Pacific Plate under the Eurasia Plate along the Japan Trench. It also provides information of seismic source characteristics of the part of the Korean Peninsula for aseismic design criteria such as Site Specific Response Spectrum and Strong Ground Motion Time History for the nuclear power plants and related nuclear waste disposal facility sites.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.16 no.1 s.60
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• pp.50-57
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• 2006

Development of structures such as slope and tunnel, waste disposal, oil and LPG storages, and underground power house and so on, is increasing with the year. The method for appropriate estimation of rock state such as fresh or damaged rocks is also requested with increasing structural development. On these purposes, seismic logging system, which is a simple and easy way for handling as well as small and light, has been developed. Seismic logging method is one of logging tests, which is able to evaluate the state of rock mass with various shapes and is possible to obtain the relatively accuracy data at situ state. In addition, seismic logging method is at to apply to estimate structural behavior, before and after support installed. According to the results obtained from this study, firstly, it is clear that the extent of damage in rock slope due to blasting is able to be evaluated with quantity using seismic logging method, moreover to decide the damage zone in rock slope reasonably. Secondly, it is expected that installing depth of support is able to be decided more effectively and economically, using the results of seismic logging data. Finally, seismic logging method is also able to be applied safety supervision of structures, before and after support installed.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.52-69
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• 2002

The WIPP (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant), located 42km east of Carlsbad, New Mexico (NM), in bedded salt 655m below the surface, is a mined repository constructed by the US DOE for the permanent disposal of transuranic (TRU) wastes generated by activities related to defence of the US since 1970. Its historical disposal operation began in March 1999 following receipt of a final permit from the State of NM after a positive certification decision for the WIPP was issued by the EPA in 1998, as the first licensed facility in the US for the deep geologic disposal of radioactive wastes. The CCA (Compliance Certification Application) for the WIPP that the DOE submitted to the EPA in 1966 was supported by an extensive performance assessment (PA) carried out by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), with so-called 1996 PA. Even though such PA methodologies could be greatly different from the way we consider for HLW disposal in Korea largely due to quite different geologic formations in which repository are likely to be located, a review on lots of works done through the WIPP PA studies could be the most important lessons that we can learn from in view of current situation in Korea where an initial phase of conceptual studies on HLW disposal has been just started. The objective of this art report is an overview of the methodology used in the recent WIPP PA to support the US DOE WIPP CCA and some relevant results completed by SNL.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.119-127
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• 2013

Borosilicate glass dissolution is an important chemical process that impacts the glass durability as nuclear waste form that may be used for high-level radioactive waste disposal. Experiments reported that the glass dissolution rates are strongly dependent on the bulk composition. Because some relationship exists between glass composition and molecular-structure distribution (e.g., non-bridging oxygen content of $SiO_4$ unit and averaged coordination number of B), the composition-dependent dissolution rates are attributed to the bulk structural changes corresponding to the compositional variation. We examined Na borosilicate glass structures by performing classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for four different chemical compositions ($xNa_2O{\cdot}B_2O_3{\cdot}ySiO_2$). Our MD simulations demonstrate that glass surfaces have significantly different chemical compositions and structures from the bulk glasses. Because glass surfaces forming an interface with solution are most likely the first dissolution-reaction occurring areas, the current MD result simply that composition-dependent glass dissolution behaviors should be understood by surface structural change upon the chemical composition change.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.23-34
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• 2009

The adsorption of iodide on untreated bentonite and bentonites modified with organic cation (i.e., hexadecylpyridinium chloride monohydrate ($HDP^+$)) was investigated, and the organobentonites were characterized using uptake measurements, ${\mu}$-XRD, and electrophoretic mobilities measurement. Uptake measurements indicate that bentonite has a high affinity for $HDP^+$. Our ${\mu}$-XRD study indicates that organobentonites significantly expanded in basal spacing and organic cations were substantially intercalated into the interlayer spaces of bentonite. The electrophoretic mobility indicates that organobentonite tht is modified with organic cations in excess of the CEC of bentonite is completely different from untreated bentonite in the surface charge distribution. We found significant differences in adsorption capacities of iodide depending on the bentonite properties as follows: iodide adsorption capacities were 439 mmol/kg for the bentonite modified with $HDP^+$ at an equivalent amount corresponding to 200% of the CEC of bentonite whereas no adsorption of iodide was observed for the untreated bentonite. The molecular environments of iodine adsorbed on organobentonites were further studied using I K-edge and $L_{III}$-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) of iodine spectra from organobentonites was similar to that of KI reference solution. Linear combination fitting of EXAFS data suggests the fraction of iodine reacted with the organic compound increased with increasing loading of the organic compound on organobentonites. In this study, we observed significant differences in the adsorption environments of iodide depending on the modified property of bentonite and suggest that an organobentonite has potential as reactive barrier material around a nuclear waste repository containing anionic radioactive iodide.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.155-165
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• 2016

Understanding the effect of boron content on atomic structures of boron-bearing multicomponent silicate melts is essential to reveal the atomistic origins of diverse geochemical processes involving silica-rich magmas, such as explosive volcanic eruption. The detailed atomic environments around B and Al in boron-bearing complex aluminosilicate glasses yield atomistic insights into reactivity of nuclear waste glasses in contact with aqueous solutions. We report experimental results on the effect of boron content on the atomic structures of sodium borate glasses and boron-bearing multicomponent silicate melts [malinkoite ($NaBSiO_4$)-nepheline ($NaAlSiO_4$) pseudo-binary glasses] using the high-resolution solid-state NMR ($^{11}B$ and $^{27}Al$). The $^{11}B$ MAS NMR spectra of sodium borate glasses show that three-coodrinated boron ($^{[3]}B$) increases with increasing $B_2O_3$ content. While the spectra imply that the fraction of non-ring species decreases with decreasing boron content, peak position of the species is expected to vary with Na content. Therefore, the quantitative estimation of the fractions of the ring/non-ring species remains to be explored. The $^{11}B$ MAS NMR spectra of the glasses in the malinkoite-nepheline join show that four-coordinated boron ($^{[4]}B$) increases as $X_{Ma}$ [$=NaBSiO_4/(NaBSiO_4+NaAlSiO_4)$] increases while $^{[3]}B$ decreases. $^{27}Al$ MAS NMR spectra of the multicomponent glasses confirm that four-coordinated aluminum ($^{[4]}Al$) is dominant. It is also observed that a drastic decrease in the peak widths (full-width at half-maximum, FWHM) of $^{[4]}Al$ with an addition of boron ($X_{Ma}=0.25$) in nepheline glasses. This indicates a decrease in structural and topological disorder around $^{[4]}Al$ in the glasses with increasing boron content. The quantitative atomic environments around boron of both binary and multicomponent glasses were estimated from the simulation results of $^{11}B$ MAS NMR spectra, revealing complex-nonlinear variation of boron topology with varying composition. The current results can be potentially used to account for the structural origins of the change in macroscopic properties of boron-bearing oxide melts with varying boron content.