Zirconium(Zr) nuclear fuel cladding tubes are made using a three-time pilgering and annealing process. In order to remove the oxidized layer and impurities on the surface of the tube, a pickling process is required. Zr is dissolved in HF and HNO3 mixed acid during the process and pickling waste acid, including dissolved Zr, is totally discarded after being neutralized. In this study, the waste acid was recycled by adding BaF2, which reacted with the Zr ion involved in the waste acid; Ba2ZrF8 was subsequently precipitated due to its low solubility in water. It is very difficult to extract zirconium from the as-recovered Ba2ZrF8 because its melting temperature is 1031 oC. Hence, we tried to recover Zr using an electrowinning process with a low temperature molten salt compound that was fabricated by adding ZrF4 to Ba2ZrF8 to decrease the melting point. Change of the Zr redox potential was observed using cyclic voltammetry; the voltage change of the cell was observed by polarization and chronopotentiometry. The structure of the electrodeposited Zr was analyzed and the electrodeposition characteristics were also evaluated.

The effect of BaF2 flux in Y3Al5O12:Ce3+(YAG:Ce) formation was investigated. Phase transformation ofY3Al5O12(YAG) was characterized by using XRD, SEM, and TEM-EDS, and it was revealed that the sequential formation ofthe Y4Al2O9(YAM), YAlO3(YAP) and Y3Al5O12(YAG) in the temperature range of 1000-1500oC. Single phase of YAG wasrevealed from 1300oC. In order to find out the effect of BaF2 flux, three modeling experiments between starting materials(1.5Al2O3−2.5Y2O3, Y2O3−BaF2, and Al2O3−BaF2) were done. These modeling experiments showed that the nucleationprocess occurs via the dissolution-precipitation mechanism, whereas the grain growth process is controlled via the liquid-phasediffusion route. YAG:Ce phosphor particles prepared using a proposed technique exhibit a spherical shape, high crystallinity,and an emission intensity. According to the experimental results conducted in this investigation, 5% of BaF2 was the bestconcentration for physical, chemical and optical properties of Y3Al5O12:Ce3+(YAG:Ce) that is approximately 10-15% greaterthan that of commercial phosphor powder.