• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.196-200
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• 1997

The variation of sintered density and fain size in ex-AUC, ex-ADU and granulated ex-ADU UO$_2$ pellets in which 0.1~1.0wt% Nb$_2$O$_{5}$ were doped were examined. Pellets were sintered in an atmosphere of H$_2$ at 1$700^{\circ}C$ for 4h. All the specimens tested shooed more than 94% T.D.(Theoretical Density). Sintered density decreased with increasing the amount of Nb$_2$O$_{5}$. Powder types had little influence on the sintered density. Pore size distribution was shifted to the larger ones as Nb$_2$O$_{5}$ was added. The increase of total pore volume and grain growth due to the addition of Nb$_2$O$_{5}$ were thought to be the cause of the sintered density decrease. The largest grain size was seen in the 1. 0wt% Nb$_2$O$_{5}$ doped ex-AUC UO$_2$ pellets. Their average size was 13.9 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$.m}$.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2022

In this research, curium oxide (CmO₂) is studied as fuel for VVER-1200 reactor to get an attention to its energy value and possibilities. For this purpose, CmO₂ is used in fuel rods or integrated burnable absorber (IBA) rods with and without UO₂ and then compared with the conventional fuel assembly of VVER-1200 reactor. It is burned to 60 GWd/t by using SRAC-2006 code and JENDL-4.0 data library. From these studies, it is found that CmO₂ is competent like UO₂ as a fuel due to higher fission cross-section of ²⁴³Cm and ²⁴⁵Cm isotopes and neutron capture cross-section of ²⁴⁴Cm and ²⁴⁶Cm isotopes. As a result, when some or all of the UO₂ of fuel rods or IBA rods are replaced by CmO₂, we get a similar k-inf like the reference even with lower enrichment UO₂ fuels. These studies show that the use of CmO₂ as IBA rods is more effective than the fuel rods considering the initially loaded amount, power peaking factor (PPF), fuel temperature and void coefficient, and the quality of spent fuel. From a detailed study, 3% CmO₂ with inert material ZrO₂ in IBA rods are recommended for the VVER-1200 reactor assembly from the once through concept.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.14-24
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• 2003

This work investigates the effects of Cr$_2$O$_3$ and oxygen potential on grain growth and densification of UO$_2$ pellets. Powder mixtures of UO$_2$ and 0.03-0.4wt% Cr$_2$O$_3$ were pressed and sintered in 3 different gas atmospheres: the $H_2O$-to-H$_2$ ratios were 5$\times$10$^{-4}$ , 1$\times$10$^{-2}$ and 3$\times$10$^{-2}$ In the first gas atmosphere the Cr$_2$O$_3$ contents below 0.2 wt% have an insignificant effect on grain size, but the Cr$_2$O$_3$ contents more than 0.3 wt% promote grain growth in the inner zone of a pellet but not in the outer zone. In both the second and third atmospheres, the grain size increases with the Cr$_2$O$_3$ content. With the same level of Cr$_2$O$_3$ content the grain size is larger in the second atmosphere than in the third. Sintering behavior and developed microstructure are discussed in terms of the reduction of C$r^2$O$^3$ to Cr, the dissolution of C$r^2$O$^3$ in UO$_2$, and liquid phase sintering.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.135.2-135.2
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• 2007

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.215.2-215
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• 1999

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.572-576
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• 2003

Open/closed porosity, pore size and its distribution and pore type as a funtion of sintered density of UO$_2$-20 wt％CeO$_2$ pellets were investigated. Pore appeared almost closed-type with the density above 96％ of the theoretical density. Bimodal pore size distribution was observed regardless of the sintered density, but the number of pore decreased with increasing the sintered density. The shape of pore was changed from irregular shape to round type with increasing the sintered density.

• The Korean Journal of Ceramics
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.279-285
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• 1998

The $UO_2$ pellets are usually sintered under hydrogen gas atmosphere. Hydrogen gas may cause unexpected early failure of the refractory bricks in the sintering furnace. In this work, nitrogen was mixed with hydrogen to investigate the effect of nitrogen gas on a failure machanism of the refractory bricks and on the microstructure of the $UO_2$ pellet. The hydrogen-nitrogen mixed gas experiments show that the larger nitrogen the mixed gas contains, the less the refractory materials are reduced by hydrogen. The weight loss measurements at $1400^{\circ}C$ for fire clay and chamotte refractories containing high content of $SiO_2$ indicate that the weight loss rate for the mixed gas is about half of that for the hydrogen gas. Based on the thermochemical analyses, it is proposed that the weight loss is caused by hydrogen-induced reduction of free $SiO_2$ and/or $SiO_2$ bonded to $Al_2O_3$ in the fire clay and chamotte refractories. However, the retardation of the hydrogen-induced $SiO_2$ reduction rate under the mixed gas atmosphere may be due to the reduction of the surface reaction rate between hydrogen gas and refractory materials in proportion to volume fraction of nitrogen gas in the mixed gas. On the other hand, the mixed gas experiments show that the test data for $UO_2$ pellet still meet the related specification values, even if there exists a slight difference in the pellet microstructural parameters between the cases of the mixed gas and the hydrogen gas.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.130-137
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• 1991

The following new cryptand 221 complexes of lanthanides(Ⅲ) and dioxouranium(Ⅵ) nitrate have been synthesized: $(Ln(C_{16}H_{32}N_2O_5)(H_2O)_2(NO_3)_3\ and \((UO_2)_2(C_{16}H_{32}N_2O_5)(H_2O)_4(NO_3)_4$. These complexes have been identified by elemental analysis, moisture titration, conductivity measurements and various spectroscopic techniques. The proton and carbon-13 NMR as well as calorimetric measurements were used to study the interaction of cryptand 221 with La(Ⅲ), Pr(Ⅲ ), Ho(Ⅲ) and $UO_2(Ⅱ)$ ions in nonaqueous solvents. The bands of metal-oxygen atoms, metal-nitrogen atoms and O-U-O in the IR spectra shift upon complexation to lower frequencies, and the vibrational spectra ({\delta}NMN$) of metal-amide complexes in the crystalline state exhibit lattice vibrations below 300 $cm^{-1}$. The NMR spectra of the lanthanides(Ⅲ) and dioxouranium(Ⅵ) nitrate complexes in nonaqueous solvents are quite different, indicating that the ligand exists in different conformation, and also the $^1H$ and $^{13}C-NMR$ studies indicated that the nitrogen atom of the ring has greater affinity to metal ions than does the oxygen atom, and the planalities of the ring are lost by complexation with metal ions. Calorimetric measurements show that cryptand 221 forms more stable complexes with $La^{3+}$ and $Pr^{3+}$ ions than with $UO^{22+}$ ion, and $La^{3+}/Pr^{3+}$ and $UO^{22+}/Pr^{3+}$ selectivity depends on the solvents. These changes on the stabilities are dependent on the basicity of the ligand and the size of the metal ions. The absorption band (230-260 nm) of the complex which arises from the direct interaction of macrocyclic donor atoms with the metal ion is due to n-{\delta}*$ transition and also that (640-675 nm) of $UO^{22+}$-cryptand 221 complex, which arises from interaction between two-dioxouranium(Ⅵ) ions in being out of cavity of the ligand ring is due to d-d* transition.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.337-344
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• 2020

Plant growth-promoting microorganisms promote plant growth by supplying nutrients to roots and interacting with the intrinsic factors in plants through volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this study, we evaluated the effect of UOS, plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF) isolated from previous study, on the growth of Nicotiana tabacum L. var Xanthi nc. Phylogenetic analysis and GC-MS were used to identify the fungal species and the VOCs emitted by the UOS, respectively. The fresh weight of UOS-treated Nicotiana tabacum L. was 3.8 and 4.2-fold higher than that of the control groups grown in vertical and I-plates, respectively. Moreover, in the UOS-treated plants, the length of the primary root was half and the number of lateral roots were twice compared to those in control plants. The UOS was identified as Phoma sp. by studying spore and mycelial morphology and using phylogenetic analysis. GC-MS revealed that the VOC emitted by the UOS was hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D3). These results suggest that the UOS of Phoma sp. influences plant growth and root development through D3. We expect this UOS and its VOC, D3 to be utilized in the future to increase growth and enhance yield for other plants.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.141-148
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• 2011

This paper presents the quantitative analysis results of research on the burnup effect on the nuclear fuel cycle cost of BeO-$UO_2$ fuel. As a result of this analysis, if the burnup is 60 MWD/kg, which is the limit under South Korean regulations, the nuclear fuel cycle cost is 4.47 mills/kWh at 4.8wt% of Be content for the BeO-$UO_2$ fuel. It is, however, reduced to 3.70 mills/kWh at 5.4wt% of Be content if the burnup is 75MWD/kg. Therefore, it seems very advantageous, in terms of the economic aspect, to develop BeO-$UO_2$ fuel, which does not have any technical problem with its safety and is a high burnup & long life cycle nuclear fuel.