High-sensitive XANES analysis at Ce L-edge for Ce in bauxites using transition-edge sensors; Implications for Ti-rich geological samples

Li, W.*; Yamada, Shinya*; Hashimoto, Tadashi; Okumura, Takuma*; Hayakawa, Ryota*; Nitta, Kiyofumi*; Sekizawa, Oki*; Suga, Hiroki*; Uruga, Tomoya*; Ichinohe, Yuto*; et al.

Analytica Chimica Acta, 1240, p.340755_1 - 340755_9, 2023/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2022.340755

no abstracts in English

Thermodynamic analysis for solidification path of simulated ex-vessel corium

Sato, Takumi; Nagae, Yuji; Kurata, Masaki; Quaini, A.*; Guneau, C.*

CALPHAD; Computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams and Thermochemistry, 79, p.102481_1 - 102481_11, 2022/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.calphad.2022.102481

BWR lower head penetration failure test focusing on eutectic melting

Yamashita, Takuya; Sato, Takumi; Madokoro, Hiroshi; Nagae, Yuji

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 173, p.109129_1 - 109129_15, 2022/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2022.109129

Stabilization treatment of Pu-bearing organic materials

Morishita, Kazuki; Sato, Takumi; Onishi, Takashi; Seki, Takayuki*; Sekine, Shinichi*; Okitsu, Yuichi*

JAEA-Technology 2021-024, 27 Pages, 2021/10

JAEA-Technology-2021-024.pdf:2.41MB

In the case of Plutonium (Pu)-bearing organic materials, organic materials are decomposed by alpha rays emitted mainly from Pu to generate hydrogen gas and other substances. Therefore, to safely store Pu-bearing organic materials for an extended period of time, organic materials must be eliminated. In addition, carbide and nitride fuels must be converted into oxides for safe storage in order to prevent the exothermal reaction of these fuels with oxygen/moisture in air. A survey of the literature on the stabilization treatment of Pu-bearing organic materials confirmed that organic materials can be decomposed and removed by heating at 950 C (1223.15 K) or greater in air. Furthermore, based on the calculated thermodynamic parameters of oxidation reaction of carbide and nitride fuels in air, it was estimated that these fuels would be oxidized in air at 950 C because the equilibrium oxygen partial pressure in the oxidation reaction at 950 C was lower than 2.110 Pa (oxygen partial pressure in air). Therefore, it was decided to stabilize Pu-bearing organic materials by heating at 950 C in air to remove the organic materials and oxidize the carbide and nitride fuels. As a mock-up test to remove the organic materials, thin sheets of epoxy resin were heated in air. The changes in appearance and weight before and after heating in air showed that organic materials can be removed. After the mock-up test, Pu-bearing organic materials were also stabilized by heating in the similar condition.

Experimental evaluation of Sr and Ba distribution in ex-vessel debris under a temperature gradient

Sudo, Ayako; Sato, Takumi; Ogi, Hiroshi; Takano, Masahide

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 58(4), p.473 - 481, 2021/04

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2021.1879690

Dissolution behavior of Sr and Ba is crucial for evaluating secondary source terms via coolant water from ex-vessel debris accumulated at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. To understand the mechanism, knowing the distribution of Sr and Ba in the ex-vessel debris is necessary. As a result of reaction tests between simulated corium and concrete materials, two layered structures were observed in the solidified sample, (A) a silicate glass-based ((Si-Al-Ca-Fe-Zr-Cr-U-Sr-Ba)-O) phase-rich layer in the upper surface region and (B) a (U,Zr)O particle-rich layer at the inner region. Measurable concentrations of Sr and Ba were observed in layer (A) (approximately 1.7 times that in the layer (B)). According to thermodynamic analysis, (U,Zr)O is predicted to solidify, in advance, in the concrete-based melt around 2177 C. Then, the residual melt is solidified as a silicate glass, and Sr and Ba are preferentially dissolved into the silicate glass. During the tests, (U,Zr)O particles sank, in advance, in the melt because of its higher density, and the silicate glass phase relocated to the surface layer. On the other hand, silicate glass containing Sr and Ba is predicted to be hardly soluble in water and chemically stable.

Segregation behavior of Fe and Gd in molten corium during solidification progress

Sudo, Ayako; Meszaros, B.*; Poznyak, I.*; Sato, Takumi; Nagae, Yuji; Kurata, Masaki

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 533, p.152093_1 - 152093_8, 2020/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2020.152093

Measurement of the angular distribution of -rays after neutron capture by La for a T-violation search

Okudaira, Takuya; Shimizu, Hirohiko*; Kitaguchi, Masaaki*; Hirota, Katsuya*; Haddock, C. C.*; Ito, Ikuya*; Yamamoto, Tomoki*; Endo, Shunsuke*; Ishizaki, Kohei*; Sato, Takumi*; et al.

EPJ Web of Conferences, 219, p.09001_1 - 09001_6, 2019/12

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201921909001

Parity violating effects enhanced by up to 10 times have been observed in several neutron induced compound nuclei. There is a theoretical prediction that time reversal (T) violating effects can also be enhanced in these nuclei implying that T-violation can be searched for by making very sensitive measurements. However, the enhancement factor has not yet been measured in all nuclei. The angular distribution of the (n,) reaction was measured with La by using a germanium detector assembly at J-PARC, and the enhancement factor was obtained. From the result, the measurement time to achieve the most sensitive T-violation search was estimated as 1.4 days, and a 40% polarized La target and a 70% polarized He spin filter whose thickness is 70 atmcm are needed. Therefore high quality He spin filter is developed in JAEA. The measurement result of the (n,) reaction at J-PARC and the development status of the He spin filter will be presented.

Fundamental study on segregation behavior in U-Zr-Fe-O system during solidification process

Sudo, Ayako; Mizusako, Fumiki*; Hoshino, Kuniyoshi*; Sato, Takumi; Nagae, Yuji; Kurata, Masaki

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 18(3), p.111 - 118, 2019/08

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J18.029

Cooling rate of molten core materials during solidification significantly affects the segregation of major constituents of fuel debris. To understand general tendency of the segregation, liquefaction/solidification tests of simulated corium (UO, ZrO, FeO, BC and sim-FP oxides) were performed. Simulated corium was heated up to 2600C under Ar atmosphere and then cooled down with two different cooling processes; furnace cooling (average cooling rate is approximately 744C/min) and slow cooling (cooling rate in 2600C2300C is 5C/min and in 2300C1120C is approximately 788C/min). Element analysis detected three oxide phases with different composition and one metal phase in both solidified samples. Solubility of FeO in these oxide phases was mostly fixed to be 125at% in both samples, which is in reasonable accordance with the value estimated from UO-ZrO-FeO phase diagrams. However, a significant grain-growth of one oxide phase, rich in Zr-oxide, was detected only in the slowly cooled sample. The composition of this particular oxide phase is comparable to the initial average composition. The condensation is considered to be caused by the connection of remaining liquid agglomerates during slow solidification.

Characterization and thermodynamic study of humic acid in deep groundwater at Horonobe, Hokkaido, Japan

Kimuro, Shingo*; Kirishima, Akira*; Nagao, Seiya*; Saito, Takumi*; Amano, Yuki; Miyakawa, Kazuya; Akiyama, Daisuke*; Sato, Nobuaki*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 55(5), p.503 - 515, 2018/05

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2017.1416690

no abstracts in English

Interaction of rare earth elements and components of the Horonobe deep groundwater

Kirishima, Akira*; Kuno, Atsushi*; Amamiya, Hiroki; Kubota, Takumi*; Kimuro, Shingo*; Amano, Yuki; Miyakawa, Kazuya; Iwatsuki, Teruki; Mizuno, Takashi; Sasaki, Takayuki*; et al.

Chemosphere, 168, p.798 - 806, 2017/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.10.133

For better understanding of the migration behavior of minor actinides (MA) in deep groundwater, the interaction of doped rare earth elements (REEs) and components in Horonobe deep groundwater was studied. Appx. 10 ppb of rare earth elements, i.e., Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Er, Tm and Yb were doped to the sample groundwater collected from a packed sections in borehole drilled from 140 m depth experiment drift of Horonobe underground research laboratory (URL), Hokkaido, Japan. Then, that groundwater was sequentially filtrated by 0.2 micron pore filter, 10 kDa, 3 kDa and 1 kDa of nominal molecular weight limit (NMWL) ultrafilters by keeping inert condition. After that, the filtrate solutions were analyzed by ICP-MS to determine the concentrations of retained REEs at each filtration steps, while the used filters were analyzed by the neutron activation analysis (NAA) and TOF-SIMS element mapping to know the amount and chemical speciation of trapped fraction of the REEs on each filter. A remarkable relation between the retention ratios of REEs in the filtrate solutions and the ionic radius was observed, i.e., smaller rare earth element solves more in liquid phase under the Horonobe groundwater condition. NAA and TOF-SIMS analyses revealed that certain portions of REEs were trapped by 0.2 micron pore filters as rare earth phosphates which corresponded with the predicted predominant species by a chemical equilibrium calculation for the Horonobe groundwater condition, while small portions of colloidal REEs were trapped by 10 kDa and 3 kDa NMWL ultrafilters. The result suggested that phosphate anion plays an important role in the chemical behavior of REEs in saline (seawater based) groundwater, which could be referred for the prediction of migration behavior of trivalent actinide released from the repository of radioactive waste in far future.