• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.11
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• pp.3798-3807
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• 2021

Tritium extraction from radioactively contaminated cement mortar samples was performed using heating and liquid scintillation counting methods. Tritiated water molecules (HTO) can be present in contaminated water along with water molecules (H₂O). Water is one of the primary constituents of cement mortar dough. Therefore, if tritium is present in cement mortar, the buildings and structures using this cement mortar would be contaminated by tritium. The radioactivity level of the materials in the environment exposed to tritium contamination should be determined for their disposal in accordance with the criteria of low-level radioactive waste disposal facility. For our experiments, the cement mortar samples were heated at different temperature conditions using a high-temperature combustion furnace, and the extracted tritium was collected into a 0.1 M nitric acid solution, which was then mixed with a liquid scintillator to be analyzed in a liquid scintillation counter (LSC). The tritium extraction rate from the cement mortar sample was calculated to be 90.91% and 98.54% corresponding to 9 h of heating at temperatures of 200 ℃ and 400 ℃, respectively. The tritium extraction rate was close to 100% at 400 ℃, although the bulk of cement mortar sample was contaminated by tritium.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2013

There was a study for biological characteristics, except for physico-chemical and mineralogical properties, on the natural bentonite that is considered as a buffer material for the high-level radioactive waste disposal site. A bentonite slurry that was prepared from a local 'Gyeongju bentonite' in Korea was incubated in a serum bottle with nutrient media over 1 week and its stepwise change was observed with time. From the activated bentonite in the nutrient media, we can find a certain change of both solid and liquid phases. Some dark and fine sulfides began to be generated from dissolved sulfate solution, and 4 species of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were identified as living cells in samples that were periodically taken and incubated. These results show that sulfate-reducing (or metal-reducing) bacteria are adhering and existing in the powder of bentonite, suggesting that there may be a potential occurrence of longterm biogeochemical effects in and around the bentonite buffer in underground anoxic environmental conditions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.02a
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• pp.245-256
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• 2004

The extraction of three kinds of amido podands, N,N,N'N'-tetrabutyl-3-oxa-pentanedi- amide (TBDGA), N,N,N'N'-tetra-isobutyl-3-oxa-pentanediamide(TiBDGA) and N,N,N'N'-tetra- butyl-3,6-dioxa-oct-anediam- ide(TBDOODA) on U(VI),Pu(IV), Am(III), Eu(III) and other metal ions is studied in nitric acid solutions. 40%octanol-kerosene is chosen as diluents to eliminate third phase and emulsion. TBDGA and TiBDGA show extraction selectivity to An(III) and Ln(III) much higher than to U(VI) and Pu(IV). Fe, Ru and Mo is poorly extracted by the three kinds of amid podands in 2~3mol/L $HNO_3$ solutions. Aiming to eliminate interface crude when using simulated HLLW solution in the system of 0.2mol/L TBDGA/Octanol＋kerosene, acetohydroxyamic acid was adapted. Distribution ratio of zirconium was decreased when adding acetohydroxyamic acid in aqueous solution, and interface crude disappeared as mixing extractant with HLLW. The counter-current extraction test is carried out in a set of miniature mixer-settler, with 0.2mol/L TBDGA/ 40% octanol-kerosene as extractant to separate U(VI), Pu(IV), Am(III) and Eu(III) from simulated high level liquid waste(HLLW) solution. In battery A, lanthanides and actinides are coextracted into organic phase with the recovery of 99.98% for U(Ⅵ), >99.99% for Pu(IV), and >99.99% for Am(III) and Eu(III) respectively. In battery R1, 99.99% U, 86.2% Pu and a part of Am or Eu are stripped into aqueous phase by 0.2mol/L acetohydroxyamic acid (AHA) in 0.01mol/L $HNO_3$ solution. In battery $R_2$, Am, Eu and remained Pu are completely back-extracted by 0.2mol/L AHA. This separation process contains no salt reagent, and it is not necessary to dilute HLLW feed.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2009

Dihexyloctanamide(DHOA) was used as an extractant or phase modifier with the diamide extractants in a solvent extraction process for a radioactive liquid waste treatment. The degradation compounds of the DHOA extractant, irradiated with $^{60}Co$ gamma ray, were octanoic acid and dihexylamine which are identified by a Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR) and gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer(GC/MS) analysis, and determined by the GC/MS with selected ion monitoring(SIM) mode. Retention behavior of octanoic acid, tridecane (internal standard) and dihexylamine in total ion chromatogram (TIC) were 8.65 min., 9.79 min., and 10.27 min., respectively. With increasing the absorbed dose of the $\gamma$-ray irradiated DHOA, the concentration of octanoic acid was decreased and that of dihexylamine was increased.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.297-308
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• 2007

The granulation equipment of concentrated wastes is manufactured for the polymer solidification of concentrated wastes. It uses liquid sodium silicate as a granulating agent for the granulating of dried powder containing boric acid. The granulating agent is sprayed in the form of droplet and mean size of dried granules is $2{\sim}4mm$. The new technology which has been used for the polymer solidification of spent resin in U.S. and certified by Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is successfully applied to concentrated wastes. This uses in-situ solidification process within drum without mechanical mixing. Maximum loading of waste can be achieved without increasing of waste volume. Polymer waste forms were evaluated with several test such as fire test, compressive strength test, leaching test, immersion test, irradiation test, and thermal cycling test according to standard test procedures.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.419-424
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• 2004

Various radiation counters have been using to determine radioactivity of radwastes for disposal. A radiation counting system was set up using a radiation detector chosen in this study and its stability was investigated through the periodic determination of background and counting efficiencies in accordance with a quality control program to increase the confidence level. The average background level for the $\gamma$-spectrometer was 1.59 cps and the average counting level for the standard sample was 45248 Ops within $2{\sigma}$ confidence levels. The average alpha background level for the low background ${\alpha}{\beta}$ counting system was 0.31 cpm and the efficiency for alpha counting was 34.38%. The average beta background level for the ${\alpha}{\beta}$ counting system was 1,30 cpm and the efficiency for beta counting was 46.5%, The background level in the region of 3H and 14C for the liquid scintillation counting system was 2.52 and 3.31 cpm and the efficiency for alpha counting was 58.5 and 95.6%, respectively. The minimum detectable activity for the$\gamma$-spectrometer was found to be 3.2 Bq/$m\ell$ and 3.8 Bq/$m\ell$ for the liquid scintillation counter, and 20.5 and 23.0 Bq/$m\ell$, respectively for the $\alpha$ and $\beta$ counting system.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.211-222
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• 1977

The decomposition of all the individual chemicals used in the Harwell inactive vitrification pilot plant has been studied by means of a thermal balance. Weight loss curves to 110$0^{\circ}C$ have been obtained. The four materials (sodium nitrate, cesium nitrate, lithium nitrate and ruthenium nitroso-nitrate solution) showed a greater weight loss than that based on an oxide yield, and hence these compounds of their products of decomposition are volatile below 110$0^{\circ}C$. The remaining materials suffered a weight loss no more than that corresponding to a full yield of the oxide, and hence they were not volatile below 110$0^{\circ}C$. Most of chemicals begin to decompose at less than 75$^{\circ}C$ but the nitrates of cesium, strontium, barium and sodium not until 295$^{\circ}C$ to 59$0^{\circ}C$. The results obtained can be used in the analysis of process conditions in the vitrification and calcination of highly radioactive wastes and also of the thermal decomposition behaviour of mixtures containing those materials.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.11b
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• pp.165-175
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• 2005

Measurement of spent resin activity was initiated in 2004 in order to develop the C-14 removal technology for safe disposal. As part of this program, spent resins were sampled and measured in the in-station resin storage tank 2 at Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1. At the time of sampling, the resins had been in storage tank from 3 to 23 years. Total 72 resin samples were sampled, which were collected from both man-hole (68 samples) and test-hole (4 samples) in the in-station resin storage tank 2. They were separated into liquid, activated carbon, zeolite, and spent resin. The spent resins were oxidized with sample oxidizer and analyzed for C-14. Ten of collected mixed resin samples were separated by density into cation and anion resins using a sugar solution. The C-14 concentration in anion exchange resin was approximately 2 times higher than in the mixed resin. The average concentration of C-14 in the cation/anion mixed exchange resin was $460\;GBq/m^3$ from test-hole and $53.1\;GBq/m^3$ from man-hole. We have found that concentration of C-14 in the spent resin is about from 0.4 to $1,321\;GBq/m^3$. So it could be a problem, when dispose of at a repository, since there is a disposal limit of $222\;GBq/m^3$. This means we should develop the C-14 removal technology.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.248-254
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• 2005

This paper presents a quantitative method of sequential separation of $^{90}Sr,\;^{241}Am$ and Pu nuclides with an anion exchange resin and a Sr-Spec resin. The Pu isotopes were purified with an anion exchange resin. The americium and strontium fractions were separated from the matrix elements with an oxalate co-precipitation method. Americium fraction was separated from the strontium fraction with iron co-precipitation method and purified from lanthanides with anion exchange resin. Strontium-90 was purified from other hindrance elements with the Sr-Spec resin after oxalate co-precipitation. The measurement of Pu and Am isotopes was carried out by an ${\alpha}$-spectrometer. Strontium-90 was measured by a liquid scintillation counter. The radiochemical procedure of $^{90}Sr,\;^{241}Am$ and Pu nuclides investigated in this study has been validated by application to IAEA-Reference soils.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2017.10a
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• pp.73-73
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• 2017

Pyroprocessing at KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) consists of pretreatment, electroreduction, electrorefining and electrowinning. SFR (Sodium Fast Reactor) fuel is prepared from the electrowinning process which is composed of LCC (Liquid Cadmium Process) and Cd distillation et al. LCC is an electrochemical process to obtain actinides from spent fuel. In order to recover actinides inert anodes such as carbon material are used, where chlorine gas ($Cl_2$) evolves on the surface of the carbon material. And, stainless steel (SUS) crucible should be installed in large-scale electrowinning system. Therefore, the effect of chlorine on the SUS material needs to be studied. LiCl-KCl-$UCl_3$-$NdCl_3$-$CeCl_3$-$LaCl_3$-$YCl_3$ salt was contained in 2 kinds of electrolytic crucible having an inner diameter of 5cm, made of an insulated alumina and an SUS, respectively. And, three kinds of electrodes such as cathode, anode, reference were used for the electrochemical experiments. Both solid tungsten (W) and LCC were used as cathodes. Cd of 45 g as the cathode material was contained in alumina crucibles for the deposition experiments, where the crucible has an inner diameter of 3 cm. Glassy carbon rod with the diameter of 0.3 cm was employed as an anode, where shroud was not used for the anode. A pyrex tube containing LiCl-KCl-1mol% AgCl and silver (Ag) wire having a diameter of 0.1cm was used as a reference electrode. Electrodeposition experiments were conducted at $500^{\circ}C$ at the current densities of $50{\sim}100mA/cm^2$. In conclusion, Fe ions were produced in the salt during the electrodeposition by the reaction of chlorine evolved from the anode and Fe of the SUS crucible and thereby LCC system using SUS crucible showed very low current efficiencies compared with the system using the insulated alumina crucible. Anode shroud needs to be installed around the glassy carbon not to influence surrounding SUS material.