• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2017.10a
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• pp.167-168
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• 2017

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.49-50
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• 2017

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.358-359
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• 2017

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2017.10a
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• pp.191-192
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• 2017

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.675-682
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• 2013

The sequential separation process, composed of an oxygen sparging process for separating lanthanides and a zone freezing process for separating Group I and II fission products, was evaluated and tested with a surrogate eutectic waste salt generated from pyroprocessing of used metal nuclear fuel. During the oxygen sparging process, the used lanthanide chlorides (Y, Ce, Pr and Nd) were converted into their sat-insoluble precipitates, over 99.5% at $800^{\circ}C$; however, Group I (Cs) and II (Sr) chlorides were not converted but remained within the eutectic salt bed. In the next process, zone freezing, both precipitation of lanthanide precipitates and concentration of Group I/II elements were preformed. The separation efficiency of Cs and Sr increased with a decrease in the crucible moving speed, and there was little effect of crucible moving speed on the separation efficiency of Cs and Sr in the range of a 3.7 - 4.8 mm/hr. When assuming a 60% eutectic salt reuse rate, over 90% separation efficiency of Cs and Sr is possible, but when increasing the eutectic salt reuse rate to 80%, a separation efficiency of about 82 - 86 % for Cs and Sr was estimated.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.87-111
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• 2021

Nuclear power plants (NPPs) produce radioactive waste and decommissioning this waste entails additional cost; determining these costs for various types and specifications of radioactive waste can be challenging. The purpose of this study is to identify major determinants of the decommissioning cost and their impact on NPPs. To this end, data from defunct NPPs were gathered and 2SLS (Two Stage Least Squares) regression models were developed to investigate the major contributors depending on the reactor types, viz. PWR (Pressurized Water Reactors) and BWR (Boiling Water Reactors). Additionally, cost estimations and the Monte Carlo simulation were performed as part of performance validation. Our study established that the decommissioning costs are primarily influenced by the level of radioactivity in the decommissioned waste, which can be realized from operational factors like operation period, overall efficiency, and plant capacity, as well as from duration of decommissioning and labour cost. While our study provides an improved statistical approach to recognize these factors, we acknowledge that our models have limitations in forecasting accurately which we envisage to bolster in future studies by identifying more substantive factors.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.349-356
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• 2022

Nuclear power plant decommissioning generates significant concrete waste, which is slightly contaminated, and expected to be classified as clearance concrete waste. Clearance concrete waste is generally crushed into rubble at the site or a satellite treatment facility for practical disposal purposes. During the process, workers are exposed to radiation from the nuclides in concrete waste. The treatment processes consist of concrete cutting/crushing, transportation, and loading/unloading. Workers' radiation exposure during the process was systematically studied. A shielding package comprising a cylindrical and hexahedron structure was considered to reduce workers' radiation exposure, and improved the treatment process's efficiency. The shielding package's effect on workers' radiation exposure during the cutting and crushing process was also studied. The calculated annual radiation exposure of concrete treatment workers was below 1 mSv, which is the annual radiation exposure limit for members of the public. It was also found that workers involved in cutting and crushing were exposed the most.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.411-417
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• 2023

During the operation of a nuclear power plant (NPP), the generation of radioactive waste, including dry active waste (DAW), concentrates, spent resin, and filters, mandates the implementation of appropriate disposal methods to adhere to Korea's waste acceptance criteria (WAC). In this context, this study investigates the potential use of polymer concrete (PC) as a high-integrity container (HIC) material for solidifying and packaging these waste materials. PC is a versatile composite material comprising binding polymers, aggregates, and additives, known for its exceptional strength and chemical stability. A comprehensive analysis of PC's long-term integrity was conducted in this study. First, its compressive strength, which is crucial for ensuring the structural stability of HICs over extended periods, was evaluated. Subsequently, the resilience of PC was tested under various stress conditions, including biological, radiological, thermal, and chemical stressors. The findings of this study indicate that PC exhibits remarkable long-term properties, demonstrating exceptional stability even when subjected to diverse stressors. The results therefore underscore the potential viability of PC as a reliable material for constructing high-integrity containers, thus contributing to the safe and sustainable management of radioactive waste in NPPs.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2000

Preliminary experiment was peformed to investigate the leaching characteristics of paraffin waste forms that had been recently generated in large quantities at domestic nuclear power plants. At first, waste simulants whose compositions were different in mixing ratio of paraffin to boric acid were prepared. Their compressive strengths were measured and ninety-day leaching test of specimen including cobalt was carried out according to ANSI/ANS-16.1 test procedure. Water immersion test was also conducted keeping pace with leaching test and the weight change and the compressive strength of specimen were observed after ninety days. The compressive strength of waste form exhibited 666 psi (4.53 MPa) in the case where mixing ratio of boric acid to paraffin was 78/22, which was adopted in concentrate waste drying system of domestic nuclear power plants. The leaching test resulted in about 50% of the cumulative fraction leached for boric acid and cobalt, respectively. The specific gravity of waste form was 0.87 ［g/g］whose value was less than that of water because the weight loss of about 39% occurred after the water immersion test of ninety days. It was also observed that the waste form which had undergone ninety-day water immersion test exhibited the compressive strength of 203 psi (1.38 MPa).

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2018.11a
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• pp.245-246
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• 2018