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

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

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 62(1), p.56 - 64, 2025/01

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2024.2381553

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.

Ca-induced phonon softening in BaTiO revealed by inelastic X-ray and neutron scattering

Kimura, Koji*; Tsutsui, Satoshi*; Yamamoto, Yuta*; Nakano, Akitoshi*; Kawamura, Keisuke*; Kajimoto, Ryoichi; Kamazawa, Kazuya*; Martin, A.*; Webber, K. G.*; Kakimoto, Kenichi*; et al.

Physical Review B, 110(13), p.134314_1 - 134314_10, 2024/10

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.110.134314

Hydroxyl group/fluorine disorder in deuterated magnesium hydroxyfluoride and behaviors of hydrogen bonds under high pressure

He, X.*; Kagi, Hiroyuki*; Komatsu, Kazuki*; Iizuka, Riko*; Okajima, Hajime*; Hattori, Takanori; Sano, Asami; Machida, Shinichi*; Abe, Jun*; Goto, Hirotada*; et al.

Journal of Molecular Structure, 1310, p.138271_1 - 138271_8, 2024/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molstruc.2024.138271

High-pressure responses of the O-DF hydrogen bonds in deuterated magnesium hydroxyfluoride were investigated using neutron powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The Rietveld analysis at ambient conditions revealed a chemical formula of Mg(OD)F and hydroxyl group/fluorine disorder (OD/F disorder) in the crystal structure, which gave rise to two hydrogen-bonding configurations. The Rietveld analysis showed the hydrogen-bonding geometries remains up to 9.8 GPa, indicating no pressure-induced strengthening of hydrogen bonds. The Raman spectra at ambient conditions showed three hydroxyl stretching bands at 2613, 2694, and 2718 cm. The high frequencies of the O-D stretching modes indicated that the hydroxyls should be involved in weak or none hydrogen-bonding interactions. Up to 20.2 GPa, the mode initially centered at 2694 cm displayed a pressure-induced blue shift, revealing no strengthening of hydrogen bonds under compression. We discuss the existence of hydrogen bonds and the causes of the blue-shifting hydroxyls at ambient and at high pressures.

"Invisible" radioactive cesium atoms revealed; Pollucite inclusion in cesium-rich microparticles (CsMPs) from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Miyazaki, Kanako*; Takehara, Masato*; Minomo, Kenta*; Horie, Kenji*; Takehara, Mami*; Yamasaki, Shinya*; Saito, Takumi*; Onuki, Toshihiko*; Takano, Masahide; Shiotsu, Hiroyuki; et al.

Journal of Hazardous Materials, 470(15), p.134104_1 - 134104_11, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134104

Performance test of J-PARC linac 972 MHz semiconductor amplifier

Nakano, Hideto; Fuwa, Yasuhiro; Shinozaki, Shinichi; Mizobata, Satoshi*

Proceedings of 20th Annual Meeting of Particle Accelerator Society of Japan (Internet), p.577 - 578, 2023/11

https://www.pasj.jp/web_publish/pasj2023/proceedings/PDF/WEP3/WEP31.pdf

In the J-PARC linac, klystrons are used as RF source. To improve the stability of RF power supply, the replacement of klystrons with semiconductor amplifiers is under consideration. Since the output of a semiconductor amplifier is relatively small, klystrons were installed in high power sections. Progresses of semiconductor production technology have allowed to manufacture semiconductor amplifiers that are expected be practical use. In the J-PARC linac, the installation in a debuncher 2 cavity with relatively small output power is planed. Characteristics test of a prototype semiconductor amplifier were conducted before full scale installation.

Intruder configurations in Ne at the transition into the island of inversion; Detailed structure study of Ne

Wang, H.*; Yasuda, Masahiro*; Kondo, Yosuke*; Nakamura, Takashi*; Tostevin, J. A.*; Ogata, Kazuyuki*; Otsuka, Takaharu*; Poves, A.*; Shimizu, Noritaka*; Yoshida, Kazuki; et al.

Physics Letters B, 843, p.138038_1 - 138038_9, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2023.138038

Detailed -ray spectroscopy of the exotic neon isotope Ne has been performed using the one-neutron removal reaction from Ne. Based on an analysis of parallel momentum distributions, a level scheme with spin-parity assignments has been constructed for Ne and the negative-parity states are identified for the first time. The measured partial cross sections and momentum distributions reveal a significant intruder p-wave strength providing evidence of the breakdown of the N = 20 and N = 28 shell gaps. Only a weak, possible f-wave strength was observed to bound final states. Large-scale shell-model calculations with different effective interactions do not reproduce the large p-wave and small f-wave strength observed experimentally, indicating an ongoing challenge for a complete theoretical description of the transition into the island of inversion along the Ne isotopic chain.

Development of technologies for enhanced analysis accuracy of fuel debris; Summary results of the 2020 fiscal year (Subsidy program for the project of decommissioning and contaminated water management)

Ikeuchi, Hirotomo; Koyama, Shinichi; Osaka, Masahiko; Takano, Masahide; Nakamura, Satoshi; Onozawa, Atsushi; Sasaki, Shinji; Onishi, Takashi; Maeda, Koji; Kirishima, Akira*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2022-021, 224 Pages, 2022/10

JAEA-Technology-2022-021.pdf:12.32MB

A set of technology, including acid dissolving, has to be established for the analysis of content of elements/nuclides in the fuel debris samples. In this project, a blind test was performed for the purpose of clarifying the current level of analytical accuracy and establishing the alternative methods in case that the insoluble residue remains. Overall composition of the simulated fuel debris (homogenized powder having a specific composition) were quantitatively determined in the four analytical institutions in Japan by using their own dissolving and analytical techniques. The merit and drawback for each technique were then evaluated, based on which a tentative flow of the analyses of fuel debris was constructed.

Valence control of charge and orbital frustrated system YbFeO with electrochemical Li intercalation

Murase, Satoshi*; Yoshikawa, Yumi*; Fujiwara, Kosuke*; Fukada, Yukimasa*; Teranishi, Takashi*; Kano, Jun*; Fujii, Tatsuo*; Inada, Yasuhiro*; Katayama, Misaki*; Yoshii, Kenji; et al.

Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, 162, p.110468_1 - 110468_6, 2022/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpcs.2021.110468

We report a trial of the valence control for mixed valence iron triangular oxide YbFeO in order to develop an effective technique to control the frustration of charges in strongly correlated electron systems. The electro-chemical doping of Li into YbFeO was examined on the cell type sample similar to the Li-ion secondary battery cell. Systematic change of the lattice constant, Fe-Fe and Fe-Yb distance were observed with Li doping. Maximum value of the doping was over 300 mAh/g. An EXAFS experiment indicated that Li positioned between Yb octahedron layer (U-layer) and Fe-bipyramidal layer (W-layer). However, detailed change of iron valence state of YbFeO was not clearly observed because of the superimpose of the signal from iron metal nano particles in XANES observation. The results indicate that the electrochemical method might be one of the potential technique to control the frustration of charges in YbFeO.

Study on the free corrosion potential at an interface between an Al electrode and an acidic aqueous NaCl solution through density functional theory combined with the reference interaction site model

Kano, Koichi*; Hagiwara, Satoshi*; Igarashi, Takahiro; Otani, Minoru*

Electrochimica Acta, 377, p.138121_1 - 138121_10, 2021/05

AA2020-0599.pdf:0.95MB

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2021.138121

We investigated the free corrosion potential at an interface between an Al electrode and an aqueous NaCl solution under acidic conditions via density functional theory combined with the effective screening medium and reference interaction site model (ESM-RISM). The electrode potentials for the anodic and cathodic corrosion reactions were obtained from the grand potential profile as a function of the electron chemical potential at the interface. Thereafter, we determined the free corrosion potential using the Tafel extrapolation method. The results of the free corrosion potential were consistent with previous experimental data. By controlling the pH, we determined the pH dependence of the free corrosion potential, and the results agreed well with the experimental results. Our results indicated that the ESM-RISM method duly described the environmental effect of an acidic solution and precisely determined the free corrosion potential.

Annual report on the environmental radiation monitoring around the Tokai Reprocessing Plant FY2019

Nakano, Masanao; Fujii, Tomoko; Nemoto, Masashi; Tobita, Keiji; Seya, Natsumi; Nishimura, Shusaku; Hosomi, Kenji; Nagaoka, Mika; Yokoyama, Hiroya; Matsubara, Natsumi; et al.

JAEA-Review 2020-069, 163 Pages, 2021/02

JAEA-Review-2020-069.pdf:4.78MB

Environmental radiation monitoring around the Tokai Reprocessing Plant has been performed by the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, based on "Safety Regulations for the Reprocessing Plant of Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Chapter IV - Environmental Monitoring". This annual report presents the results of the environmental monitoring and the dose estimation to the hypothetical inhabitant due to the radioactivity discharged from the plant to the atmosphere and the sea during April 2019 to March 2020. In this report, some data include the influence of the accidental release from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station of Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. (the trade name was changed to Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. on April 1, 2016) in March 2011. Appendices present comprehensive information, such as monitoring programs, monitoring methods, monitoring results and their trends, meteorological data and discharged radioactive wastes. In addition, the data which were influenced by the accidental release and exceeded the normal range of fluctuation in the monitoring, were evaluated.