Estimating the corrosion rate of stainless steel R-SUS304ULC in nitric acid media under concentrating operation

入澤 恵理子; 加藤 千明

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 591, p.154914_1 - 154914_10, 2024/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2024.154914

核燃料再処理施設における濃縮運転時の溶液組成及び沸騰の変化を考慮して、オーステナイト系ステンレス鋼R-SUS304ULCの腐食量を評価した。オーステナイト系ステンレス鋼R-SUS304ULCは、日本の使用済燃料再処理施設の高放射性廃液濃縮装置の構造材料であり、濃縮運転時に腐食性の高い硝酸溶液を処理する。本研究の結果、カソード反応活性化によるステンレス鋼の腐食速度を加速する要因として、硝酸濃度、酸化性金属イオン濃度、減圧沸騰に着目する必要があることがわかった。

Atomic position and the chemical state of an active Sn dopant for Sn-doped -GaO(001)

Tsai, Y. H.*; 小畠 雅明; 福田 竜生; 谷田 肇; 小林 徹; 山下 良之*

Applied Physics Letters, 124(11), p.112105_1 - 112105_5, 2024/03

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0198160

Recently, gallium oxide (GaO) has attracted much attention as an ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor with a bandgap of about 5 eV. In order to control device properties, it is important to clarify the chemical state of dopants and doping sites. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy were used to investigate the dopant sites and chemical states of Sn in Sn-doped -GaO(001) samples. The results show that the chemical state of the Sn dopant is the Sn oxidation state and that the bond lengths around the Sn dopant atoms are longer due to the relaxation effect after Sn dopant insertion. Comparison of experimental and simulated XANES spectra indicates that the octahedral Ga substitution site in -GaO(001) is the active site of the Sn dopant.

健全性崩壊をもたらす微生物による視認不可腐食の分子生物・電気化学的診断及び抑制技術の開発(委託研究); 令和4年度英知を結集した原子力科学技術・人材育成推進事業

廃炉環境国際共同研究センター; 物質・材料研究機構*

JAEA-Review 2023-031, 101 Pages, 2024/01

JAEA-Review-2023-031.pdf:24.47MB

日本原子力研究開発機構(JAEA)廃炉環境国際共同研究センター(CLADS)では、令和4年度英知を結集した原子力科学技術・人材育成推進事業(以下、「本事業」という。)を実施している。本事業は、東京電力ホールディングス株式会社福島第一原子力発電所(1F)の廃炉等をはじめとした原子力分野の課題解決に貢献するため、国内外の英知を結集し、様々な分野の知見や経験を、従前の機関や分野の壁を越えて緊密に融合・連携させた基礎的・基盤的研究及び人材育成を推進することを目的としている。平成30年度の新規採択課題から実施主体を文部科学省からJAEAに移行することで、JAEAとアカデミアとの連携を強化し、廃炉に資する中長期的な研究開発・人材育成をより安定的かつ継続的に実施する体制を構築した。本研究は、令和2年度に採択された研究課題のうち、「健全性崩壊をもたらす微生物による視認不可腐食の分子生物・電気化学的診断及び抑制技術の開発」の令和2年度から令和4年度分の研究成果について取りまとめたものである。本研究では、微生物が関与して誘起・加速する金属材料の腐食(微生物鉄腐食)に関して、加速検査試験片、オンサイト遺伝子検査などの革新的な診断技術を開発、1Fで想定される微生物腐食の発生・進行条件の洗い出しを行い、水質や環境コントロールによって微生物腐食を防ぐ方法を提案することを目的とした。具体的な研究成果として、微生物腐食反応の加速技術を材料と細菌集積の2つの方向から実現し、採水によるオンサイト加速試験の要素技術開発を行なった。さらに、局所的に激しい腐食を行う細菌の単離に成功し、新しい微生物腐食の抑止技術へと繋がる成果が得られた。さらに、これらの成果の大部分は、春に博士課程に進学した2人の修士課程の学生によって達成されたもので有り、高い学際性を持つリーダー人材の育成に貢献した。

Development of a radiation tolerant laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system using a single crystal micro-chip laser for remote elemental analysis

田村 浩司; 中西 隆造; 大場 弘則; 狩野 貴宏; 柴田 卓弥; 平等 拓範*; 若井田 育夫

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 8 Pages, 2024/00

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2298485

For the development of the remote elemental analysis method in a radiation environment based on the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), the radiation effects on the laser oscillation properties of the single crystal (SC) Nd: YAG microchip laser (MCL) were investigated and compared with those of ceramics Nd: YAG MCL. The laser oscillation properties were measured under gamma-ray irradiation as a function of dose rate. The effects on the SC MCL properties were found to be very small compared to those on the ceramics, indicating minimal radiation effects on the LIBS signal when using SC MCL. Pulse energy and oscillating build-up time (BUT) were measured for a cumulative dose exceeding 1400 kGy. The pulse energy remained stable, and the laser continued to oscillate under irradiation. The BUT also remained stable, demonstrating negligible optical loss accumulation that could affect laser properties even at the demonstrated cumulative dose. The results indicate that the effects of dose rate and cumulative dose on SC MCL laser properties were minimal. The SC MCL was then integrated into the LIBS system, and the gadolinium signal of composite oxides, simulating fuel debris, was successfully measured at the dose rate of 5 kGy/hr. These findings highlight the radiation tolerance of SC MCL as a laser medium for remote LIBS applications in harsh radiation environments.

A Raman spectroscopy study of bicarbonate effects on UO

McGrady, J.; 熊谷 友多; 渡邉 雅之; 桐島 陽*; 秋山 大輔*; 紀室 辰伍; 石寺 孝充

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(12), p.1586 - 1594, 2023/12

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2236104

Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the effect of bicarbonate solution on the hyperstoichiometric UO surface oxide of UO pellets. The hyperstoichiometry causes distortion of the UO lattice, leading to the formation of defect peaks which arise in the Raman spectrum due to a loss of symmetry. By deconvolution of the defect peaks, the extent of oxygen inclusion and defect formation in the surface oxide as a function of bicarbonate concentration was investigated. Immersion in solution caused a reduction in the amount of interstitial oxygen due to dissolution U(V) and U(VI) in the UO oxide surface. The defect concentration increased upon immersion due to the formation of an equilibrium between dissolution and reprecipitation. The bicarbonate concentration affected the defect content which was attributed to different forms of U in solution (hydrolysed UO and UO(CO)) leading to different rates of reduction and precipitation.

Impact of the Ce states in the electronic structure of the intermediate-valence superconductor CeIr

藤森 伸一; 川崎 郁斗; 竹田 幸治; 山上 浩志; 雀部 矩正*; 佐藤 芳樹*; 清水 悠晴*; 仲村 愛*; Maruya, A.*; 本間 佳哉*; et al.

Electronic Structure (Internet), 5(4), p.045009_1 - 045009_7, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.1088/2516-1075/ad0a3d

The electronic structure of the -based superconductor was studied by photoelectron spectroscopy. The energy distribution of the state was revealed by the resonant photoelectron spectroscopy. The state was mostly distributed in the vicinity of the Fermi energy, suggesting the itinerant character of the state. The contribution of the state to the density of states (DOS) at the Fermi energy was estimated to be nearly half of that of the states, implying that the state has aconsiderable contribution to the DOS at the Fermi energy. The core-level and X-ray absorption spectra were analyzed based on a single-impurity Anderson model. The number of the state in the ground state was estimated to be 0.8-0.9, which is much larger than the values obtained in the previous studies (i.e., 0-0.4).

An Estimation method for an unknown covariance in cross-section adjustment based on unbiased and consistent estimator

丸山 修平; 遠藤 知弘*; 山本 章夫*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(11), p.1372 - 1385, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2203707

A new estimation method of an unknown covariance, which is defined by the difference between the true covariance (the population covariance) and a prior covariance assumed by an analyst, is proposed. The unknown covariance is estimated using an empirical covariance consistent with the observed data. To estimate the unknown covariance, an unbiased and consistent estimator in regression analysis has been incorporated into the conventional cross-section adjustment. This estimator does not require assumptions for the probability distribution of the observation data. The statistical properties of this estimator were numerically verified. In addition, the effectiveness of the proposed method was confirmed by another numerical test using actual integral experimental data. In the second numerical test, the modeling uncertainty (covariance) due to the deterministic analysis method was assumed to be unknown. The results showed that the proposed method could practically estimate the unknown covariance and adjusted cross-sections using only prior information on covariances.

Elemental analysis and radioactivity evaluation of aerosols generated during heating of simulated fuel debris; The Urasol project in the framework of Fukushima Daiichi fuel debris removal

坪田 陽一; Porcheron, E.*; Journeau, C.*; Delacroix, J.*; Suteau, C.*; Lallot, Y.*; Bouland, A.*; Roulet, D.*; 三次 岳志

Proceedings of International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management (ICEM2023) (Internet), 6 Pages, 2023/10

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICEM2023-110064

福島第一原子力発電所(1F)における燃料デブリ取出しを安全に実施するためには、燃料デブリの切断時に発生する放射性微粒子の定量評価が必要である。我々はウラン含有のIn/Ex-Vessel組成を持つ模擬燃料デブリを作製し、それらを加熱した際に生じるエアロゾルの物理、化学的特性を評価した。それらを基に1F-Unit2の燃料デブリを加熱法の代表例であるレーザー切断した際に生じるエアロゾルの同位体組成と放射能を推定したところ、Pu、Am、Cmを主とするプルトニウムが核種として、Pu、Cs-Ba、Sr-Yが核種としての着目核種であることが分かった。

In situ transmission electron microscopy observation of melted germanium encapsulated in multilayer graphene

鈴木 誠也; 根本 善弘*; 椎木 菜摘*; 中山 佳子*; 竹口 雅樹*

Annalen der Physik, 535(9), p.2300122_1 - 2300122_12, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1002/andp.202300122

Germanene is a two-dimensional (2D) germanium (Ge) analogous of graphene, and its unique topological properties are expected to be a material for next-generation electronics. However, no germanene electronic devices have yet been reported. One of the reasons for this is that germanene is easily oxidized in air due to its lack of chemical stability. Therefore, growing germanene at solid interfaces where it is not oxidized is one of the key ideas for realizing electronic devices based on germanene. In this study, the behavior of Ge at the solid interface at high temperatures was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To achieve such in situ heating TEM observation, we fabricated a graphene/Ge/graphene encapsulated structure. In situ heating TEM experiments revealed that Ge like droplets moved and coalesced with other Ge droplets, indicating that Ge remained as a liquid phase between graphene layers at temperatures higher than the Ge melting point.

Modeling of hardness and welding residual stress in Type 316 stainless steel components for the assessment of stress corrosion cracking

Li, S.; 山口 義仁; 勝山 仁哉; Li, Y.; Deng, D.*

Proceedings of ASME 2023 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference (PVP 2023) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2023/07

https://doi.org/10.1115/PVP2023-103449

In this work, a framework was proposed on the comprehensive assessment of hardness and welding residual stress in Type 316 austenitic stainless steel welded joints. Firstly, an 8-pass butt-welded joint made of Type 316 stainless steel was fabricated. Finite element analysis of the welded joint was performed to investigate hardness and welding residual stress distributions. The grain growth model was developed for the hardness prediction. The Chaboche combined isotropic-kinematic strain hardening model and time-temperature dependent annealing model were adopted. The relationships between the Vickers hardness and the uniaxial plastic strain as well as grain size were collected from published literatures. The simulation results of the grain size and accumulated equivalent plastic strain were used for the hardness prediction of the welded joint. The predicted hardness was compared with the experimental data of hardness mapping. The distribution of welding residual stress on the outer surface of the welded pipe was measured by using the X-ray diffraction method and strain gauge method, respectively. The predicted welding residual stresses were compared with the measurements. The results obtained showed that the developed numerical approach can predict the hardness and welding residual stress of Type 316 stainless steel welded joints with satisfactory accuracy. The effects of structural constraint and heat input on the hardness and welding residual stress will be investigated as further works, as described in the proposed framework.