Development of a dissolution method for analyzing the elemental composition of fuel debris using sodium peroxide fusion technique

過酸化ナトリウム融解処理法を用いた燃料デブリの元素組成分析法の開発

中村 聡志  ; 石井 翔*; 加藤 仁*; 伴 康俊  ; 蛭田 健太; 吉田 拓矢; 上原 寛之; 小畑 裕希; 木村 康彦; 高野 公秀 

Nakamura, Satoshi; Ishii, Sho*; Kato, Hitoshi*; Ban, Yasutoshi; Hiruta, Kenta; Yoshida, Takuya; Uehara, Hiroyuki; Obata, Hiroki; Kimura, Yasuhiko; Takano, Masahide

過酸化ナトリウム(NaO)融解処理法を用いた燃料デブリの元素組成分析法を検討した。融解処理条件として、2種類の模擬デブリ試料((Zr,RE)Oの固溶体及び溶融炉心-コンクリート相互作用生成物(MCCI)など)を用いて融解処理温度及びるつぼ材について検討した。検討の結果、るつぼ材にNiを用いて、923Kで融解処理を行うことが最適な処理条件であることが示唆された。これを受けて、TMI-2デブリを用いたコンクリートセルでの実証試験に適用し、燃料デブリの完全溶解を確認した。得られたTMI-2デブリ溶解液の元素組成は再現性に優れ、SEM/WDX及びXRDによる分析結果と良好な一致を示し、妥当性を確認した。したがって、本手法は燃料デブリの元素組成分析において、有効であると考えられる。

A dissolution method for analyzing the elemental composition of fuel debris using the sodium peroxide (NaO) fusion technique has been developed. Herein, two different types of simulated debris materials (such as solid solution of (Zr,RE)O and molten core-concrete interaction products (MCCI)) were taken. At various temperatures, these debris materials were subsequently fused with NaO in crucibles, which are made of different materials, such as Ni, AlO, Fe, and Zr. Then, the fused samples are dissolved in nitric acid. Furthermore, the effects of the experimental conditions on the elemental composition analysis were evaluated using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), which suggested the use of a Ni crucible at 923 K as an optimum testing condition. The optimum testing condition was then applied to the demonstration tests with Three Mile Island unit-2 (TMI-2) debris in a shielded concrete cell, thereby achieving complete dissolution of the debris. The elemental composition of TMI-2 debris revealed by the proposed dissolution method has good reproducibility and has an insignificant contradiction in the mass balance of the sample. Therefore, this newly developed reproducible dissolution method can be effectively utilized in practical applications by dissolving fuel debris and estimating its elemental composition.