Investigation of effects of nano interfacial phenomena on dissolution aggregation of alpha nanoparticles by using micro nano technologies (Contract research); FY2022 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Tokyo Institute of Technology*

JAEA-Review 2024-022, 59 Pages, 2024/09

JAEA-Review-2024-022.pdf:4.27MB

The Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), had been conducting the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2022. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO). For this purpose, intelligence was collected from all over the world, and basic research and human resource development were promoted by closely integrating/collaborating knowledge and experiences in various fields beyond the barrier of conventional organizations and research fields. The sponsor of the Project was moved from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to JAEA since the newly adopted proposals in FY2018. On this occasion, JAEA constructed a new research system where JAEA-academia collaboration is reinforced and medium-to-long term research/development and human resource development contributing to the decommissioning are stably and consecutively implemented. Among the adopted proposals in FY2022, this report summarizes the research results of the "Investigation of effects of nano interfacial phenomena on dissolution aggregation of alpha nanoparticles by using micro nano technologies" conducted in FY2022. To ensure the safety of retrieval and storage management of nuclear fuel debris generated by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident, understanding of dissolution-denaturation behavior of the fuel debris alpha particles is one of the most crucial issues. This research aims to create novel microfluidic real-time measurement device for elucidating dissolution, aggregation, and denaturation processes of metal oxide nanoparticles under various solution environments, and clarify their nano-size and interfacial effects.

Measurement of the response of a Li-glass detector to gamma rays by a coincidence method

Ito, Fumiaki*; Lee, J.; Hironaka, Kota; Takahashi, Tone; Suzuki, Satoshi*; Mochimaru, Takanori*; Hori, Junichi*; Terada, Kazushi*; Koizumi, Mitsuo

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1064, p.169465_1 - 169465_9, 2024/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2024.169465

Ion-pairing extraction and their reaction modeling of anionic M-Cl species with cationic NTAamide(C6) extractant and comparison with density functional theory calculations

Kinoshita, Ryoma; Sasaki, Yuji; Kaneko, Masashi; Matsumiya, Masahiko*; Shinoku, Kota*; Shiroishi, Hidenobu*

Hydrometallurgy, 222, p.106159_1 - 106159_12, 2023/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydromet.2023.106159

Solvent extraction is conducted using a total of 20 metals revealing high stability constants with Cl and hexahexyl-nitrilotriacetamide (NTAamide(C6)) extractant. The metals used here may behave as anions at high Cl concentrations, and NTAamide(C6), which contains a tertiary N atom, is protonated under acidic conditions. Most of the metal ions in this study display higher distribution ratios (D(M)) from HCl than those from HNO, and exhibit 1:1 stoichiometries with NTAamide. Following the experimental results, the association constants and distribution coefficients of the group 12 elements are calculated via ion-pair extraction modeling using density functional theory calculations, and the simulations of D yield calculated values with the same trend as that of the measured values.

Double diffusive dissolution model of UO pellet in molten Zr cladding

Ito, Ayumi*; Yamashita, Susumu; Tasaki, Yudai; Kakiuchi, Kazuo; Kobayashi, Yoshinao*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(4), p.450 - 459, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2114956

An Experimental study on the degradation of UO/Fe(0) by bacteria

Liu, J.; Dotsuta, Yuma; Kitagaki, Toru; Takano, Masahide; Onuki, Toshihiko; Kozai, Naofumi

Proceedings of International Topical Workshop on Fukushima Decommissioning Research (FDR2022) (Internet), 2 Pages, 2022/10

Nuclear fuel debris, consisting primarily of nuclear fuel and structural material, was formed during the Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident and exists in the cooling water accumulated in the primary containment vessels. Microorganisms living in groundwater may come into contact with the fuel debris and react with it. To assess the degradation of fuel debris, it is necessary to evaluate the interactions between microorganisms and fuel debris. Here we performed an experimental study on bacterial degradation. A mixed powder of UO and Fe(0) was used as a fuel debris simulant. Bacillus subtilis, which is widespread bacteria in nature and thought to be present at the accident site, was used. The mixed powder was exposed to the Bacillus subtilis in a liquid medium for some days. It was found that the oxidative dissolution of the U(IV) and Fe(0) was accelerated by B. subtilis. A fraction of the dissolved U(VI) was precipitated together with iron precipitates which are probably amorphous Fe(III) hydroxides. The study indicates that microorganisms would cause the degradation of fuel debris.

Potential bacterial alteration of nuclear fuel debris; A Preliminary study using simulants in powder and pellet forms

Liu, J.; Dotsuta, Yuma; Sumita, Takehiro; Kitagaki, Toru; Onuki, Toshihiko; Kozai, Naofumi

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 331(6), p.2785 - 2794, 2022/06

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-022-08324-y

Remnant nuclear fuel debris in the damaged nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) has contacted the groundwater containing microorganisms for over ten years. Herein, we report the possibility of bacterial alteration of fuel debris. We investigated the physical and chemical changes of fuel debris simulants (FDS) in the powder and pellet forms via exposure to two ubiquitous bacteria, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis. In the experiments using FDS composed of the powders of Fe(0), solid solution of CeO and ZrO, and SiO, Ce, Zr, and Si were hardly dissolved, while Fe was dissolved, a fraction of the dissolved Fe was present in the liquid phase as Fe(II) and Fe(III), and the rest was precipitated as the nano-sized particles of iron (hydr)oxides. In the experiment using P. fluorescens and FDS pellet pieces prepared by melting the Fe(0) particles and solid solution of CeO and ZrO, the bacteria selectively gathered on the Fe(0) particle surface and made corrosion pits. These results suggest that bacteria in groundwater corrode the iron in fuel debris at FDNPP, change fuel debris into porous one, releasing the nano-sized iron (hydr)oxide particles into the water.

Electrochemical behavior of carbon steels under thickness-controlled solution layer

Momma, Yuichiro*; Sakairi, Masatoshi*; Ueno, Fumiyoshi; Otani, Kyohei

Zairyo To Kankyo, 71(4), p.121 - 125, 2022/04

https://doi.org/10.3323/jcorr.71.121

The effect of solution layer thickness on the atmospheric corrosion of carbon steel was investigated using novel devices fabricated by a 3D printer. These novel devices allowed us to control the solution layer thickness precisely. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements were performed under thickness-controlled solution layer, and oxygen diffusion limiting current density () and anodic current density () were measured. As the solution layer become thinner, increased and decreased. This result indicates that corrosion accelerates when the solution layer becomes thinner. The diffusion coefficient of oxygen was calculated as 3.2010 cm s from the relationship between and solution layer thickness, and the critical diffusion thickness was estimated to be 0.87 mm.

Correction method of measurement volume effects on time-averaged statistics for laser Doppler velocimetry

Wada, Yuki; Furuichi, Noriyuki*; Tsuji, Yoshiyuki*

European Journal of Mechanics B, Fluids, 91, p.233 - 243, 2022/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euromechflu.2021.10.007

Experimental study on modeling of Pu sorption onto quartz

Hemmi, Ko; Walker, A.*; Yamaguchi, Tetsuji

Radiochimica Acta, 109(7), p.539 - 546, 2021/07

https://doi.org/10.1515/ract-2020-0068

Plutonium(IV) sorption onto quartz in carbonate solutions was systematically investigated under anaerobic conditions to analyze the sorption behaviors of Pu(IV) with a non-electrostatic model (NEM). Pu(IV) sorption data was obtained from batch sorption experiments as a function of pH and carbonate concentration. The Pu(IV) sorption onto quartz showed similar tendencies to Th(IV), which is considered to be chemically analogous as a tetravalent actinoid. The distribution coefficient, d, of Pu(IV) onto quartz showed inverse proportionality to the square of the total carbonate concentration under the investigated pH conditions of 8 to 11. The modeling study, however, revealed a Th(IV) sorption model, which is SOTh(OH) and SOThOH(CO), could not be applied to simulate the Pu(IV) sorption onto quartz. It was inferred that the electrostatic repulsion between negatively charged ligands limited the formation of SOM(OH) and SOMOH(CO) for Pu(IV) with smaller ionic radii than Th(IV). The Pu(IV) sorption model was developed as SOPu(OH) and SOPu(OH). In addition, data of Pu(IV) sorption onto muscovite was obtained in order to be compared with data for quartz.

Development of high-resolution imaging camera for alpha dust (Contract research); FY2019 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Tohoku University*

JAEA-Review 2020-039, 59 Pages, 2021/01

JAEA-Review-2020-039.pdf:4.18MB

The Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), had been conducting the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2019. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO). For this purpose, intelligence was collected from all over the world, and basic research and human resource development were promoted by closely integrating/collaborating knowledge and experiences in various fields beyond the barrier of conventional organizations and research fields. The sponsor of the Project was moved from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to JAEA since the newly adopted proposals in FY2018. On this occasion, JAEA constructed a new research system where JAEA-academia collaboration is reinforced and medium-to-long term research/development and human resource development contributing to the decommissioning are stably and consecutively implemented. Among the adopted proposals in FY2018, this report summarizes the research results of the "Development of high-resolution imaging camera for alpha dust" conducted in FY2019. We have developed an imaging camera with a position resolution of less than approximately 10 m to monitor alpha dust in the nuclear plant during the decommissioning process, because the operators avoid to drawing in such dusts. Moreover, we have developed real-time monitor system with optical fiber and scintillator under high dose-rate condition.