Applicability of fluorine gas surface treatment to control liquid sodium wettability

Namie, Masanari; Saito, Junichi; Ikeda, Asuka; Oka, Ryotaro*; Kim, J.-H.*

Surfaces (Internet), 7(3), p.550 - 559, 2024/09

https://doi.org/10.3390/surfaces7030037

Freeze-crosslinking approach for preparing carboxymethyl cellulose nanofiber/zirconium hydrogels as fluoride adsorbents

Sekine, Yurina; Nankawa, Takuya; Sugita, Tsuyoshi; Nagakawa, Yoshiyasu*; Shibayama, Yuki; Motokawa, Ryuhei; Ikeda-Fukazawa, Tomoko*

Nanoscale, 16(19), p.9400 - 9405, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.1039/D4NR01572J

A tough carboxymethyl cellulose nanofiber (CMF)/ zirconium (Zr) hydrogel was obtained by freeze cross-linking method. The hydrogel was prepared by adding HCl solution containing Zr to frozen CMF and thawing it. The hydrogel showed high adsorptivity for fluoride. This simple gelation method provides useful insight for developing hydrogel-metal complexes.

Nanocellulose hydrogels formed via crystalline transformation from cellulose I to II and subsequent freeze cross-linking reaction

Sekine, Yurina; Nankawa, Takuya; Hiroi, Kosuke; Oba, Yojiro*; Nagakawa, Yoshiyasu*; Sugita, Tsuyoshi; Shibayama, Yuki; Ikeda-Fukazawa, Tomoko*

Carbohydrate Polymers, 327, p.121538_1 - 121538_11, 2024/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121538

We describe non-toxic, tough nanocellulose (NC) hydrogels formed from chemically unmodified NC by cellulose crystalline transformation and subsequent freeze cross-linking reaction. Using low-concentration NaOH and freezing together induced the crystalline transformation of NC from cellulose I to II via freeze concentration. After the crystalline transformation, cross-linking between the NC and CA in the freeze concentration layer (FCL) provided a strong NC network structure, forming NC hydrogels with high mechanical strength. The freeze-cross-linked NC hydrogel easily retained powder adsorbents in its inner space by mixing the NC-NaOH sol and the powder, and the hydrogel showed high removal efficiency for heavy metals. The results highlight the versatility of chemically unmodified celluloses in developing functional materials, suggest possible practical applications.

Local structural changes in V-Ti-Cr alloy hydrides with hydrogen absorption/desorption cycling

Ikeda, Kazutaka*; Sashida, Sho*; Otomo, Toshiya*; Oshita, Hidetoshi*; Honda, Takashi*; Hawai, Takafumi*; Saito, Hiraku*; Ito, Shinichi*; Yokoo, Tetsuya*; Sakaki, Koji*; et al.

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 51(Part A), p.79 - 87, 2024/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.10.318

Aerosol characterization during heating and mechanical cutting of simulated uranium containing debris; The URASOL project in the framework of Fukushima Daiichi fuel debris removal

Porcheron, E.*; Journeau, C.*; Delacroix, J.*; Berlemont, R.*; Bouland, A.*; Lallot, Y.*; Tsubota, Yoichi; Ikeda, Atsushi; Mitsugi, Takeshi

Proceedings of International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management (ICEM2023) (Internet), 5 Pages, 2023/10

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICEM2023-110133

Results of the URASOL project aimed at evaluating the generation and dispersion of radioactive aerosols during the cutting of fuel debris, a key issue in the decommissioning of the damaged reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F), are presented in this report. Characterization of aerosols generated during heating and mechanical cutting of simulated fuel debris in terms of mass concentration, real-time number density, mass-based particle size distribution, morphology, and chemical properties is reported. In the heating tests, an increase in particle size with increasing temperature was observed, and in terms of particle number density, the case using depleted uranium simulated fuel debris had a smaller number density than the test using Hf-containing simulated fuel debris. In mechanical cleavage, the aerodynamic median mass diameter of the aerosol was almost the same for the radioactive and non-radioactive samples (about 3.74.4 m).

Fractionation of hydrogen isotopes in a hydrogel during dehydration

Watanabe, Teppei*; Sekine, Yurina; Ikeda-Fukazawa, Tomoko*

Macromolecules, 56(16), p.6217 - 6221, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.3c00991

To investigate the ability of hydrogels to separate hydrogen isotopes in water, we analyzed the Raman spectra of poly-N,N-dimethylacrylamide (PDMAA) hydrogels containing deuterated water during dehydration. The results show a significant fractionation of hydrogen isotopes during dehydration. The D molar ratio of the hydrogel increases from 0.056 to 0.2 during dehydration from 90.5 wt% to 5 wt% in water content. Deuterated water preferentially forms hydrogen bonds with hydrophilic groups of the polymer in hydrogels because of the difference in strengths of hydrogen bonds between protium and deuterium. As a result, normal water preferentially evaporates in the initial stage of dehydration, leaving deuterated water in the drying hydrogel. The results suggest that hydrogels are an efficient material for isotope fractionation with evaporation.

Report of backfilling and restoration works in the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory

Takeuchi, Ryuji; Mikake, Shinichiro; Ikeda, Koki; Nishio, Kazuhisa*; Kokubu, Yoko; Hanamuro, Takahiro

JAEA-Review 2023-007, 114 Pages, 2023/07

JAEA-Review-2023-007.pdf:12.02MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) at Tono Geoscience Center has been conducting the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU) Project to enhance the reliability of geological disposal technologies through investigations of the deep geological environment in the crystalline rock (granite) at Mizunami City, Gifu Prefecture, central Japan since fiscal year 1996. Backfilling and restoration works in the MIU site have been being conducted based on "the MIU Project from FY2020 onwards" which is defined the way forward of backfilling and restoration works and environmental monitoring investigations in the MIU site, since fiscal year 2020. This report summarizes the outline, process, and achievements of the construction and the safety patrol of the backfilling and restoration works in the MIU site performed from May 16, 2020 to January 16, 2022.

Recommendations from the Education committee

Ikeda, Nobuo*; Wakabayashi, Genichiro*; Uno, Masayoshi*; Yoshinaka, Kazuyuki

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai-Shi ATOMO, 65(5), p.304 - 305, 2023/05

https://doi.org/10.3327/jaesjb.65.5_304

no abstracts in English

Chemical composition of aerosols generated by heating prototypic fuel debris samples

Journeau, C.*; Delacroix, J.*; Guvar, C.*; Testud, V.*; Brackx, E.*; Porcheron, E.*; Bouland, A.*; Berlemont, R.*; Ikeda, Atsushi

Science Talks (Internet), 6, p.100215_1 - 100215_9, 2023/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sctalk.2023.100215

Ginzburg-Landau action and polarization current in an excitonic insulator model of electronic ferroelectricity

Adachi, Hiroto*; Ikeda, Naoshi*; Saito, Eiji

Physical Review B, 107(15), p.155142_1 - 155142_10, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.107.155142