Asphalt concrete, which is used as a road base material, accounts for >90% of a road pavement. A huge amount of waste concrete and waste asphalt concrete aggregates are generated. Recently, carbon neutrality is promoted across all industries for sustainability. Therefore, to achieve carbon neutrality in the asphalt concrete industry, waste asphalt concrete aggregates should be recycled. Additionally, road base materials are prepared using additives to ensure structural stability, durability, and economic efficiency. In this study, recycled asphalt concrete aggregates were used to evaluate the physical properties of road base materials according to the type of polymer additive and mixing method, and the applicability of road base each material was evaluated. Results showed that when the acrylate-based polymer additive was mixed, the uniaxial compressive strength was 30% higher. Furthermore, the compressive strength of the split mix was improved by ~29% compared to the total mix.

PURPOSES : The purpose of this study is to conduct basic research on the development of repair materials for cross-sectional repair of the concrete of the lower slab ceiling of an old bridge. METHODS : To estimate the performance as restoration materials, cross section rebound test, compressive strength test, flexural strength test, and firing shrinkage test was done. Rebound test was done by weight of amount of rebound and weight of concrete accumulated in frame. Cross section rebound test was done by put ruler in the deepest part of concrete stick on frame. Compressive and flexural strength test was done based on KS F 2405 and KS F 2408. Firing shrinkage test was done based on ASTM C 1579-16. RESULTS : As a result of the experiment, an appropriate bonding thickness was secured by mixing natural fibers, polymers, early steel cement, and expansion materials, and the dust reducing agent was excluded due to the problem of lowering compressive strength. In addition, the amount of rebound was reduced by using a hydro mix nozzle, and plastic shrinkage cracks were also reduced due to the internal curing effect of natural fibers. CONCLUSIONS : This study was a basic study in the development of repair materials for cross-sectional repair of the lower ceiling of an aged bridge slab, and developed a material with appropriate performance. However, there is a problem that the amount of rebound and dust increases depending on the type of cement, so experiments will be conducted by changing the type of cement in future research.

The asphalt concrete industry, accounting for >90% of road pavement, is a crucial contributor to construction waste. This study focuses on the recycling of asphalt concrete recycled aggregates, which currently exhibits a low rate. We investigated the application of these aggregates, combined with hardener and mixing water, in the development of ecofriendly road base materials using circular aggregates. Results revealed that the 13-mm asphalt concrete recycled aggregates met all quality standards. However, the 25-mm aggregates did not conform to the reclaimed asphalt content standard; however, they met other quality standards. Moreover, the experimental results for the hardener and mixing water indicated compliance with all quality standards.

PURPOSES : Experimental findings pertaining to the mechanical properties and microstructures of calcium sulfo-aluminate (CSA) cement and amorphous calcium aluminate (ACA) cement based-repair mortars incorporated with anhydrite gypsum (AG) are described herein. METHODS : To prepare the mortars, the CSA or ACA as binders were adopted and the ratio of water–binder was fixed at 0.57. For comparison, mortar made of Type I ordinary Portland cement (OPC) was prepared. The fluidity, setting time, compressive and bond strengths and absorption of the mortars were measured at predetermined periods. In addition, the microstructures of paste samples using OPC, CSA or ACA were visually examined through SEM observation. RESULTS : The ACA-based mortars showed the increases in the fluidity, and the acceleration of the setting time. Furthermore, the ACAbased binder effectively enhanced the compressive and bond strengths of the mortars owing to amount of formation of C2AH8 hydrates. Meanwhile, the mortar with ACA showed an excellence absorption. CONCLUSIONS : Comparing with those of CSA-based mortars, the mechanical properties of ACA based-mortars were more remarkable. However, further studies regarding the durability of repair mortars using aluminate-based binders must be conducted to obtain the optimal mixture.

본 연구의 목적은 재료분야 국내 공동특허의 공동 출원인 정보를 이용하여 연구협력 네트워크의 구조, 특징, 진화를 탐구하는 것이다. 이를 위해 재료 기술분야(금속, 세라믹, 고분자 등 6개 기술분야) 및 혁신주체(산업계, 학계, 연구계)의 네트워크 구조 및 동태를 정량적으로 분석하며, 2010년∼2021년까지 한국의 공동특허 데이터를 활용하여 소셜 네트워크 분석(SNA)을 사용한다. 분석결과, 재료분야는 세부기술별로 네트워크의 차별점이 존재하며, 산업계, 학계, 연구계 등 혁신주체별 협력 강도의 명백한 단계별 특성을 가진다. 연구협력 네트워크의 규모는 점차 확장되어 ‘작은 세계’ 구조를 보여주고 있다. 본 연구를 통해 재료 정책 관점에서 지금까지 시행된 재료분야 산학연 협력 정책의 효과를 파악하는데 정책적 시사점을 제공함과 동시에, 보다 효과적인 재료 혁신주체 간의 네트워크를 구축하기 위한 근거 기반의 정책 수립에 도움이 될 수 있다.

In this study, we introduce the validation of the analysis guidelines through preliminary experiments of the draft analysis guidelines before analyzing waste materials (non-combustible). This validation data was applied the accuracy and efficiency of the separation and analysis for the waste such as steel generated from NPP. Steel (non-flammable) was leached the mixed acid and the leaching solution was separated by using the separation guidelines. Steel was corroded with radioactive RM (Co-60, Cs-137) and mixed acid. After drying, the corroded steel was measured the initial radioactivity by a HPGe detector (10,000 seconds). The sample was inserted in a beaker and leached with mixed acid (10 M HNO3 + 4 M HCl) for 2 hours. In this solution, it added 2 ml of H2O2 to increase the leaching effect. The ultrasonic device was adjusted so that the temperature does not exceed 60°C. After elution, the surface of the sample was washed with pure water. The weight of the sample was measured accurately, and recorded the weight loss rate after infiltration. The leaching sample was measured radioactivity by a HPGe detector (10,000 seconds). It was calculated the recovery rate based on the difference in total radioactivity before and after leaching. Before the test, radioactive RM (Co-60, Cs-137) was radioactive deposited by corrosion, but Cs- 137 was not detected in the initial gamma measurement and only Co-60 nuclides were deposited. The recovery rate test results were confirmed to be about 100%.

With an ultimate view to identifying abnormal releases of radioactive materials, a set of liquid and gaseous effluent data including unplanned or uncontrolled releases annually reported form the U.S. and Korean nuclear power plants were systematically analyzed. With the use of 21 years’ worth of annual discharge data for 7 radionuclide groups and 24 individual radionuclides, taken from a combined total of 1,610 reactor-years (RYs) covering 62 units of US Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) and 22 units of Korean PWRs, three novel formulas for estimating events were employed to calculate characteristic values. Applying these characteristic values derived from the event estimation formulas to events that transpired during 699 RYs in operational US PWRs revealed an enhanced predictive accuracy for abnormal events when considering individual radionuclides, as opposed to grouping them by radionuclide groups. This effect was particularly pronounced for specific events such as leaks caused by problems in Gas Decay Tanks, leaks in Steam Generator Power Operated Relief Valves, fuel defects, and leaks during spent nuclear fuel processing. In the case of Korean PWRs, fuel defects were identified as the primary events related to radioactive effluent releases. The methodologies and characteristic values derived from this study were applied to these events. The event estimation rate was lower in Korean compared to US PWRs, which can be attributed to the lower frequency of event occurrences in Korean PWRs (30 RYs) compared to the US. The approach proposed in this study may contribute to develop a methodology to identify implicit abnormal release data and correlate them with specific operational occurrences or events, which could improve the conventional practice of simply recording and reporting radioactive discharge data.

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science has developed certified reference materials (concrete, soil, and metal radioactive liquid) for measuring gamma-emitting radionuclides to improve and maintain the quality assurance and quality control of the radioactivity measurement in decommissioning nuclear power plants. The raw materials that make up each CRM were mixed in an appropriate ratio with radionuclides. For certification and homogeneity assessment, 10 bottles were randomly selected, two sub-samples were collected from each bottle, and radionuclides were measured via HPGe gamma spectrometry. The results of the homogeneity tests using a one-way analysis of variance on the radionuclides in the CRMs fulfilled the requirements of ISO Guide 35. Coincidence summing and self-absorption correction were performed on measurement results by introducing the Monte Carlo efficiency transfer code and Monte Carlo N-Particle transport code. In concrete analysis, the reference values for five radionuclides (60Co, 241Am, 134Cs, and 137Cs) in the CRM were in the range of 15-40 Bq/kg, and the expanded uncertainty was within 10% (k = 2). In soil analysis, the reference values for the 137Cs and 60Co were 118.7 and 124.4 Bq/kg, and the expanded uncertainty was within 10% (k = 2). In metal radioactive liquid analysis, the reference values for 134Cs, 137Cs and 60Co in the CRM were in the range of 200-270 Bq/kg, and the expanded uncertainty was within 7% (k = 2).

Domestic commercial low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste storage containers are manufactured using 1.2 mm thick cold-rolled steel sheets, and the outer surface is coated with a thin layer of primer of 10~36 μm. However, the outer surface of the primer of the container may be damaged due to physical friction, such as acceleration, resonance, and vibration during transportation. As a result, exposed steel surfaces undergo accelerated corrosion, reducing the overall durability of the container. The integrity of storage containers is directly related to the safety of workers. Therefore, the development of storage containers with enhanced durability is necessary. This paper provides an analysis of mechanical properties related to the durability of WC (tungsten carbide)-based coating materials for developing low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste storage containers. Three different WC-based coating specimens with varied composition ratios were prepared using HVOF (high-velocity oxy-fuel) technique. These different specimens (namely WC-85, WC-73, and WC-66) were uniformly deposited on cold-rolled steel surfaces ensuring a constant thickness of 250 μm. In this work, the mechanical properties of the three different WCbased coaitng materials evaluated from the viewpoints of microstructure, hardness, adheision force between substrate and coating material, and wear resistance. The cross-sectional SEM-EDS (Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy) images revealed that elements W (tungsten), C (carbon), Ni (nickel), and Cr (chromium) were uniformly distributed within the each coating layers which was approximately 250 μm thick. The average hardness values of HWC-85 and HWC-73 were found to be 1,091 Hv (Vickers Hardness) and 1,083 Hv, respectively, while the HWC-66 exhibited relatively lower hardness value of 883 Hv. This indicates that a higher WC content results in increased hardness. Adhesion force between and substrates and coating materials exceeded 60 MPa for all specimens, however, there were no significant differences observed based on the tungsten carbide content. Furthermore, a taber-type abrasion tester was used for conducting abrasion resistance tests under specific conditions including an H-18 load weight at 1,000 g with rotational speed set at 60 RPM. The abrasion resistance tests were performed under ambient temperatures (RT: 23±2°C) as well as relative humidity levels (RH: 50±10%). Currently, the ongoing abrasion resistance tests will include some results in this study.

This study focuses on the development of coatings designed for storage containers used in the management of radioactive waste. The primary objective is to enhance the shielding performance of these containers against either gamma or neutron radiation. Shielding against these types of radiation is essential to ensure the safety of personnel and the environment. In this study, tungsten and boron cabide coating specimens were manufactured using the HVOF (High-Velocity Oxy Fuel) technuqe. These coatings act as an additional layer of protection for the storage containers, effectively absorbing and attenuating gamma and neutron radiation. The fabricated tungsten and boron carbide coating specimens were evaluated using two different testing methods. The first experiment evaluates the effectiveness of a radiation shielding coating on cold-rolled steel surfaces, achieved by applying a mixture of WC (Tungsten Carbide) powders. WC-based coating specimens, featuring different ratios, were prepared and preliminarily assessed for their radiation shielding capabilities. In the gamma-ray shielding test, Cs-137 was utilized as the radiation source. The coating thickness remained constant at 250 μm. Based on the test results, the attenuation ratio and shielding rate for each coated specimen were calculated. It was observed that the gammaray shielding rate exhibited relatively higher shielding performance as the WC content increased. This observation aligns with our findings from the gamma-ray shielding test and underscores the potential benefits of increasing the tungsten content in the coating. In the second experiment, a neutron shielding material was created by applying a 100 μm-thick layer of B4C (Boron Carbide) onto 316SS. The thermal neutron (AmBe) shielding test results demonstrated an approximate shielding rate of 27%. The thermal neutron shielding rate was confirmed to exceed 99.9% in the 1.5 cm thick SiC+B4C bulk plate. This indicates a significant reduction in required volume. This study establishes that these coatings enhance the gamma-ray and neutron shielding effectiveness of storage containers designed for managing radioactive waste. In the future, we plan to conduct a comparative evaluation of the radiation shielding properties to optimize the coating conditions and ensure optimal shielding effectiveness.