• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.45-57
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• 2014

Academic interests in ionic liquid (IL) technologies have been extended to the nuclear industry and the applicability of ionic liquids for processing radioactive materials have been investigated by many researchers. A number of studies have reported interesting results with respect to the spectroscopic and electrochemical behaviors of metal elements included in spent nuclear fuels. The measured and observed properties of metal ions in TBP(tri-butyl phosphate) dissolved ILs have led the development of alternative technologies to traditional aqueous processes. On the other hand, the electrochemical deposition of metal ions in ILs have been investigated for the application of the solvents to aqueous as well as to non-aqueous processes. In this work, a review on the application of ILs in nuclear fuel cycle is presented for the purpose of categorizing and summarizing the notable researches on ILs.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.399-410
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• 2022

The solubility and species distribution of radionuclides in groundwater are essential data for the safety assessment of deep underground spent nuclear fuel (SNF) disposal systems. Americium is a major radionuclide responsible for the long-term radiotoxicity of SNF. In this study, the solubility of americium compounds was evaluated in synthetic groundwater (SynDB3), simulating groundwater from the DB3 site of the KAERI Underground Research Tunnel. Geochemical modeling was performed using the ThermoChimie_11a thermochemical database. Concentration of dissolved Am(III) in Syn-DB3 in the pH range of 6.4-10.5 was experimentally measured under over-saturation conditions by liquid scintillation counting over 70 d. The absorption spectra recorded for the same period suggest that Am(III) colloidal particles formed initially followed by rapid precipitation within 2 d. In the pH range of 7.5-10.5, the concentration of dissolved Am(III) converged to approximately 2×10^-7 M over 70 d, which is comparable to that of the amorphous AmCO₃OH(am) according to the modeling results. As the samples were aged for 70 d, a slow equilibrium process occurred between the solid and solution phases. There was no indication of transformation of the amorphous phase into the crystalline phase during the observation period.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.139-165
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• 2019

The current status and prospect of decommissioning technology development at KAERI are reviewed here. Specifically, this review focuses on four key technologies: decontamination, remote dismantling, decommissioning waste treatments, and site remediation. The decontamination technologies described are component decontamination and system decontamination. A cutting method and a remote handling method together with a decommissioning simulation are described as remote dismantling technologies. Although there are various types of radioactive waste generated by decommissioning activities, this review focuses on the major types of waste, such as metal waste, concrete waste, and soil waste together with certain special types, such as high-level and high-salt liquid waste, organic mixed waste, and uranium complex waste, which are known to be difficult to treat. Finally, in a site remediation technology review, a measurement and safety evaluation related to site reuse and a site remediation technique are described.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.69-76
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• 1976

This experiment has been carried out for the removal of long-lived radioactive-nuclides (Sr-90, Ru-106, Cs-137 and Ce-144) contained in the low-level radioactive effluents from the spent fuel reprocessing plant and nuclear power plant, in order to determine the decontaminability of various chemical coagulants and domestic clay mineral (montmorillonite). Phosphate process showed prominent efficiency for the removal of Ce-144, and lime-soda process did good removal efficiency for Sr-90. About Cs-137 copper-ferrocyanide process is much desirable. In phosphate or lime-soda process, most favorable removal efficiency was obtained at more than pH 11. The montmorillonite treated with sodium chloride showed a considerable improvement in the removal of the radioactive-nuclides. By a combined chemicals-montmorillionite process, the radioactive-nuclides could be more effectively removed than by the only chemicals process.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.279-296
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• 2022

The fundamental characteristics of groundwater colloids, such as composition, concentration, size, and stability, were analyzed using granitic groundwater samples taken from the KAERI Underground Research Tunnel (KURT) site by such analytical methods as inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, field emission-transmission electron microscopy, a liquid chromatography-organic carbon detector, and dynamic light scattering technique. The results show that the KURT groundwater colloids are mainly composed of clay minerals, calcite, metal (Fe) oxide, and organic matter. The size and concentration of the groundwater colloids were 10-250 nm and 33-64 ㎍·L^-1, respectively. These values are similar to those from other studies performed in granitic groundwater. The groundwater colloids were found to be moderately stable under the groundwater conditions of the KURT site. Consequently, the groundwater colloids in the fractured granite system of the KURT site can form stable radiocolloids and increase the mobility of radionuclides if they associate with radionuclides released from a radioactive waste repository. The results provide basic data for evaluating the effects of groundwater colloids on radionuclide migration in fractured granite rock, which is necessary for the safety assessment of a high-level radioactive waste repository.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.172-179
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• 2003

Various type of tritium wastes can be produced from nuclear fuel cycle process satisfying non-proliferation, CANDU reactors, and nuclear industry. Activities of tritium processing in the world were surveyed to develope the processing technologies of tritium wastes. The tritium wastes were classified into gas phase, liquid phase, and organic phase. And the treatment techniques for the tritium wastes are analyzed. Development of tritium processing technologies is essential to finding public acceptance of radioactive wastes and forming a solid foundation to foster the growth of nuclear industry in Korea.

• Prospectives of Industrial Chemistry
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2021

플라스틱은 가볍고 물성이 뛰어나며 가공이 용이하면서도 낮은 가격 때문에 우리의 실생활에서 매일 사용되고 있다. 동시에 썩지 않는 특성 탓에 폐플라스틱에 의한 환경오염의 문제가 심해짐에 따라 전 세계적으로 일회용 포장재 및 용기에 사용되는 플라스틱의 사용을 금지하는 규제 및 폐플라스틱을 재활용하려는 시도가 늘어나고 있다. 하지만 인류가 지난 수십 년간 생산한 플라스틱은 약 83억 톤이지만 이중 약 10%정도만 재활용 되었을 정도로 폐플라스틱의 재활용 비율은 미비하다. 특히, 최근 코로나 팬데믹으로 인해 택배 및 배달음식 주문량이 늘어남에 따라 플라스틱의 사용량이 급증하여 폐플라스틱의 재활용 필요성은 더욱더 커지고 있다. 본 기고문에서는 불균일 촉매를 이용한 수소첨가 폐플라스틱의 분해에 관한 최신 연구동향을 다루고자 한다. 안정적이고 반응성 및 선택성이 뛰어난 촉매 개발은 폐플라스틱의 효과적인 분해를 위해서 매우 중요하다.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.179-189
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• 2014

Pyroprocessing has been developed for the purpose of resolving the current spent nuclear fuel management issue and enhancing the recycle of valuable resources. An electrolytic reduction of the pyroprocessing is a process to reduce oxides into metals using LiCl as an electrolyte and requires a post-treatment process due to the inclusion of residual salt in porous metal products. A vacuum distillation has been adopted for various molten salt systems and could be applied to the post-treatment process of the electrolytic reduction. The residual salt in the metal products includes LiCl, alkali chlorides, and alkaline earth chlorides. In this paper, vapor pressures of chlorides have been estimated and the composition changes on the residual liquid during the vacuum distillation process have been calculated. A model combining a material balance and vapor-liquid equilibrium relations has been proposed under a constant vapor discharging flow rate and liquid composition changes have been calculated using the vapor pressures with respect to a dimensionless time. The behaviors have been compared with temperature and molten salt composition changes to simulate the process condition variation. The distillation of the residual salt has been dominated by LiCl which is the main component of the salt and CsCl of which vapor pressure is higher than that of LiCl would be readily removed. RbCl exhibits similar vapor pressure with LiCl and maintains its composition. However, $SrCl_2$ and $BaCl_2$ of which vapor pressures are much lower than that of LiCl are concentrated with time and expected to be possibly precipitated during the distillation when the initial compositions are increased.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.79-82
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• 2006

Fueled by ballooning oil prices, waste plastics are now regarded as being cheap and abundant renewable sources, removing their stigma of dirty wastes Catalytic pryolysis of plastics in liquid phase allows recovery of light fuel oil as well as green treatment of polymerics wastes, and therefore significant efforts have been devoted to this research field. In this study, catalytic Pyrolysis of LDPE was carl ied out in semi-batch reactor which equipped a unit of separation and recirculation. The effect of react ion conditions were examined by analyzing liquid oil yield and carbon number distribution of products

• Resources Recycling
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• v.15 no.1 s.69
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• pp.37-45
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• 2006

For treating a huge amount of plastic waste with the environment problem, pyrolysis of plastic waste into alternative fuel oil is one or important issue in recycling methods. This study was introduced over the trend or generation of plastic waste, in Korea pyrolysis technology in domestic and foreign countries, basic technology in pyrolysis process and new technology of pyrolysis developed in KIER (Korea Institute of Energy research). The characteristics of process developed in KIER are the continuous loading treatment or mixed plastic waste with an automatic control system, the minimization of wax production by circulation pyrolysis system in non-catalytic reactor, the reuse of gas produced and the oil recovery from sludge generated in pyrolysis plant, which have greatly the advantage economically and environmetally. The experiment result data in 300 ton/yr pilot plant showed about $81\;wt\%$ liquid yield for 3 days continuous reaction time, and also the boiling point distribution of light oil (LO) and heavy oil (HO) produced in distillation tower was a little higher than that of commercial gasoline and diesel, respectively.