Accurate understanding of structural integrity and chemical reactivity of UO2 disposed in deep underground sites is of importance. Owing to the specific condition of the site location, UO2 may have substantially different properties from the conventional prediction. In this study, we demonstrate that the oxidation resistivity of UO2 is considerably modified by gadolinium (Gd), which is the element of neutron absorber and a byproduct of nuclear decay of radioactive U-235. Using density functional theory calculations, we investigate how the oxidation mechanism of UO2 changes with Gd incorporation in U lattice. Our study indicates that Gd remarkably enhances the thermodynamic stability of pristine UO2 against surface oxidation via three underlying mechanisms: (i) weakens the chemical bonding of adsorbed oxygen atom (O) with U, (ii) reduces active sites (U) for oxygen adsorption, and (iii) suppresses the subsurface diffusion of adsorbed O delaying the growth of the oxide layers on the UO2. Electronic and lattice structure analyses for Gd-doped UO2 indicate that amount of charge transfer from U to O is critically reduced and the lattice of the UO2 surface is contracted. Our results provide useful information for understanding long-term stability and improving the structural integrity of UO2 through the chemical doping process.

After the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was signed, Korea is undergoing nuclear inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a non-nuclear-armed state. By the inspection, nuclear material measurement and management have been carried out according to safety measures. Uranium dioxide, a major component of nuclear fuel, is a material that naturally oxidizes at room temperature, yielding a volume change. In this case, it will have an impact on the management of nuclear material measurement, and a model for predicting this will be required. At room temperature, an oxide film is grown by oxygen diffusion on the surface of uranium dioxide, and if the thickness of the oxide film is predicted based on this, the volume change of uranium dioxide can also be predicted. In relation to this, Ghargozloo’s ionic diffusion oxidation model exists. Therefore, in this paper, an modified oxidation model based on Ghargozloo’s oxygen diffusion in uranium dioxide is presented and the volume change of uranium dioxide due to oxidation is predicted.

Liquid scintillation cocktail is liquid waste, which consists of an organic solvent, scintillator, surfactant, and radionuclide. Large volumes of liquid scintillation waste are generated each year, and both the organic compound and radionuclide content can negatively affect on the health and the environment. Therefore, the liquid scintillation waste should be treated in an appropriate way. In this study, to facilitate the treatment of liquid scintillation waste, the sulfate-radical advanced oxidation process (SR-AOP) was performed for the mineralization of liquid scintillator waste. In SR-AOP, highly reactive sulfate radicals, which react more selectively and efficiently with organic compounds, are produced in situ by cleaving the peroxide bond in the persulfate molecule. For the experiment, 100 times diluted ULTIMA GOLD-LLT (initial TOC=699,800 ppm) was used as a liquid scintillation waste. The TOC removal efficiency of liquid scintillation waste by the OXONE (potassium peroxymonosulfate, PMS, 2KHSO5+KHSO4+K2SO4) and sodium persulfate (PS) with varying dosages (4–12 mM) was tested, and the effects of Co2+ and Cu2+ catalysts were compared at a range of pHs (3, 7, and 9). The experimental results demonstrated that 91% TOC removal of ULTIMA GOLD-LLT could be achieved for SR-AOP at initial pH=9, Co2+=1.2 mM (catalyst), PMS=4.8 mM (oxidant) for 60 min reaction. Compared to traditional Fenton AOP which is effective only at low pH, PMS based SR-AOP with Co2+ catalyst is effective at wide range of pHs and less dependent on the treatment efficiency of the operational pH. Therefore, it can be useful for the mineralization of liquid scintillation waste which is difficult to treat with a general treatment method due to the mixture of various organic compounds.

Tributyl phosphate (TBP) is a well-known and important compound in the nuclear industry for the nuclear fuel reprocessing, and it is also used in a various field such as plastic industry as antifoaming agent. Untreated organic pollutants in TBP can remain in the soil water and cause serious environmental pollution, thus it should be degraded through environmentally friendly methods. The non-thermal plasma-based advanced oxidation process (AOP) is one of the most widely studied and best developed processes owing to its simple structure and ease of operation. In this study, a plasma-based AOP was stably generated using submerged multi-hole dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and applied to relatively high concentration of TBP solution. A submerged DBD plasma system was designed to directly interact with water, thereby producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and functioning as a powerful oxidizer. Additionally, UV, O3, and H2O2 are generated by the developed plasma system without using any other additives to produce OH radicals for degrading organic pollutants; therefore, this system circumvents the use of complex and advanced oxidation processes. The electrical properties and concentrations of the active species were analyzed to establish optimal plasma operating conditions for degrading TBP solution. The results were analyzed by measuring the total organic carbon (TOC) and changes in solution properties. Based on these results, a degradation mechanism of TBP solution is proposed. After 50 min of plasma treatment, the concentration of TOC was gradually decreased. Consequently, we found that plasma-based AOP using submerged multi-hole DBD has advantages as an alternative technology for degrading organic pollutants such as TBP solution.

NFDC (Nuclear Fuel and materials Data Center) developed standard reference data for oxidation of HANA-6 cladding material. Thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA) was used to measure oxidation, and the measuring device was self-calibrated using standard materials. The oxidation amount of the HANA6 cladding was measured in an oxidizing atmosphere in the temperature range of 400 to 700°C. Through this, oxidation data, oxidation rate model equation, and graph were developed. The uncertainty factors were analyzed from the oxidation model. The expanded uncertainty of oxidation data was calculated by evaluating the uncertainty for each uncertainty factor. The oxidation data produced in this study was self-rated through deliberation by a specialized committee of NFDC and third experts. It was finally registered as a reference standard through the technical committee of the National Reference Standards Center. It is believed that the standard reference data developed in this study will be helpful for increasing reliability and stability evaluation of nuclear fuel and spent fuel.

Conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) do not fully remove micropollutants. Enhanced treatment of sewage effluents is being considered or implemented in some countries to minimize the discharge of problematic micropollutants from WWTPs. Representative enhanced sewage treatment technologies for micropollutant removal were reviewed, including their current status of research and development. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as ozonation and UV/H2O2 and adsorption processes using powdered (PAC) and granular activated carbon (GAC) were mainly discussed with focusing on process principles for the micropollutant removal, effect of process operation and water matrix factors, and technical and economic feasibility. Pilot- and full-scale studies have shown that ozonation, PAC, and GAC can achieve significant elimination of various micropollutants at economically feasible costs(0.16-0.29 €/m3). Considering the current status of domestic WWTPs, ozonation and PAC were found to be the most feasible options for the enhanced sewage effluent treatment. Although ozonation and PAC are all mature technologies, a range of technical aspects should be considered for their successful application, such as energy consumption, CO2 emission, byproduct or waste generation, and ease of system construction/operation/maintenance. More feasibility studies considering domestic wastewater characteristics and WWTP conditions are required to apply ozonation or PAC/GAC adsorption process to enhance sewage effluent treatment in Korea.

Curcumin is not soluble in water. Therefore, curcumin emulsion that can dissolve well in water were prepared using multi-emulsification technology, and the antioxidant activities and physical properties of emulsion were measured. Although curcumin was not dissolved in water, it was confirmed to be well dispersed in water when prepared in an aqueous dispersion curcumin emulsion. After dissolving curcumin using water and ethanol as solvents, respectively, the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging abilities of the filtrate and the curcumin emulsion were measured. Because it was not dissolved in water, activities were not shown. However, when curcumin was dissolved in ethanol, the activities increased as the concentration of curcumin increased. On the other hand, when the curcumin emulsion was dissolved in water, it was found to have abilities. The curcumin emulsion was nano-homogenized and the size and distribution of the emulsified spheres were measured. It was confirmed to be nano-sized as it appeared as 9.083 nm/100%. In the results of the DPPH radical and ABTS radical scavenging abilities of curcumin nano-emulsion, it was confirmed that there was no change in the antioxidant abilities. In conclusion, water-dispersible curcumin prepared using multi-emulsification technology, and it was confirmed to exhibit antioxidant activity and emulsion stability.

For the purpose of manufacturing a high efficiency TiO2 photocatalyst, B-doped TiO2 photocatalysts are synthesized using a plasma electrolytic oxidation method in 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte with different concentrations of H3BO3 as additive. For the B doped TiO2 layer fabricated from sulfuric electrolyte having a higher concentration of H3BO3 additive, the main XRD peaks of (101) and (200) anatase phase shift gradually toward the lower angle direction, indicating volume expansion of the TiO2 anatase lattice by incorporation of boron, when compared with TiO2 layers formed in sulfuric acid with lower concentration of additive. Moreover, XPS results indicate that the center of the binding energy peak of B1s increases from 191.45 eV to 191.98 eV, which suggests that most of boron atoms are doped interstitially in the TiO2 layer rather than substitutionally. The B doped TiO2 catalyst fabricated in sulfuric electrolyte with 1.0 M H3BO3 exhibits enhanced photocurrent response, and high efficiency and rate constant for dye degradation, which is ascribed to the synergistic effect of the new impurity energy band induced by introducing boron to the interstitial site and the improvement of charge transfer reaction.

본 연구는 화장품 소재로서 우슬(Achyranthes japonica Nakai)의 가능성을 확인하기 위한 것이다. 우슬 추출물이 가지고 있는 항산화, 항염증, 항주름 효과를 측정하였다. 각각의 식물 재료는 70% 에탄올을 이용하여 우슬 뿌리(Achyranthes japonica Nakai roots, AJNR)와 우슬 줄기 (Achyranthes japonica Nakai stalks, AJNS)로부터 추출하였다. RAW 264.7 세포를 배양하여 추출물의 Nitric oxide assay를 진행하였고, 섬유아세포 CCD-986sk를 배양하여 추출물의 MMP-1 assay, Type I procollagen synthesis assay를 실시하였다. 이 연구의 결과, 항산화 활성은 우슬 뿌리와 우슬 줄기 모두 우수하였고, 뿌리는 함염증 효과가 월등하게 우수하였으며 줄기는 뿌리에 비해 MMP-1 저해 활성과 Type I procollagen 합성 효과가 조금 더 높았다. 이 연구의 결과, 우슬 뿌리와 우슬 줄기의 항산화 활성은 유사한 수준으로 우수하였고, 뿌리의 항염 활성은 줄기보다 월등하게 높았다. MMP-1 저해 활성과 Type I procollagen 합성 효과는 대체적으로 우수하였는데 줄기가 뿌리에 비해 가 조금 더 뛰어났다. 그러므로 우슬은 항산화, 항염증, 항주름의 활성을 갖는 기능성 화장품 소재로서 활용이 가능할 것으로 판단된다.

Stainless steel, a type of steel used for high-temperature parts, may cause damage when exposed to high temperatures, requiring additional coatings. In particular, the Cr2O3 product layer is unstable at 1000oC and higher temperatures; therefore, it is necessary to improve the oxidation resistance. In this study, an aluminide (Fe2Al5 and FeAl3) coating layer was formed on the surface of STS 630 specimens through Al diffusion coatings from 500oC to 700oC for up to 25 h. Because the coating layers of Fe2Al5 and FeAl3 could not withstand temperatures above 1200oC, an Al2O3 coating layer is deposited on the surface through static oxidation treatment at 500oC for 10 h. To confirm the ablation resistance of the resulting coating layer, dynamic flame exposure tests were conducted at 1350oC for 5–15 min. Excellent oxidation resistance is observed in the coated base material beneath the aluminide layer. The conditions of the flame tests and coating are discussed in terms of microstructural variations.

The preparation of graphene oxide and the modification of its surface directly with copper pentacyanonitrosylferrate (III) nanoparticles are presented in this work, as well as the characterization of the materials using Fourier-transform infrared spectra, X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy techniques. Beyond that, the study on the electrochemical behavior of the dispersed bimetallic complex on the graphene oxide, as known as GOCuNP, surface was carried out by the cyclic voltammetry technique. The graphite paste electrode modified with GOCuNP was successfully applied in the detection of hydrazine, presenting limit of detection of 1.58 × 10–6 mol L−1 at concentration range of 1.00 × 10–5 to 5.00 × 10–3 mol L−1 of hydrazine, being so the proposed bimetallic complex formed can be considered as a potential candidate for the manufacturing of electrochemical sensors for hydrazine detection.

In this study, nitric acid oxidation with varied treatment temperature and time was conducted on the surfaces of polyacrylonitrile- based ultrahigh modulus carbon fibers. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and surface tension/dynamic contact angle instruments were used to investigate changes in surface topography and chemical functionality before and after surface treatment. Results showed that the nitric acid oxidation of ultrahigh modulus carbon fibers resulted in decreases in the values of the crystallite thickness Lc and graphitization degree. Meanwhile, increased treating temperature and time made the decreases more obviously. The surfaces of ultrahigh modulus carbon fibers became much more activity and functionality after surface oxidation, e.g., the total surface energy of oxidized samples at 80 °C for 1 h increased by 27.7% compared with untreated fibers. Effects of surface nitric acid oxidation on the mechanical properties of ultrahigh modulus carbon fibers and its reinforced epoxy composites were also researched. Significant decreases happened to the tensile modulus of fibers due to decreased Lc value after the nitric acid oxidation. However, surface treatment had little effect on the tensile strength even as the treating temperature and processing time increased. The highest interfacial shear strength of ultrahigh modulus carbon fibers/epoxy composites increased by 25.7% after the nitric acid oxidation. In the final, surface oxidative mechanism of ultrahigh modulus carbon fibers in the nitric acid oxidation was studied. Different trends of the tensile strength and tensile modulus of fibers in the nitric acid oxidation resulted from the typical skin–core structure.

In the current work, we have developed a new composite catalyst for methanol oxidation based on Ni and/or NiO incorporated in activated carbon (AC) derived from agricultural wastes (Rice straw). The new electrocatalysts based on nickel-activated carbon (Ni/AC) and nickel oxide-activated carbon (NiO/AC) composites were prepared by electroless plating technique. Physico-chemical characteristics of the composites such as structure, composition and morphology were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and particle size analyzer. The electrochemical activity of the prepared composites towards methanol electrooxidation reaction (MOR) has been evaluated under alkaline conditions by cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, and chronoamperometry. Among the examined electrodes, the electrochemical performance of NiO/AC preceded either Ni/ AC or Ni free AC and showed better stability. The dispersion of different forms of Ni in activated carbon in case of NiO/AC electrode is predicted to give rise to the increase in electrocatalytic activity in the potential range under study and makes it more resistant to poisoning by the byproduct of methanol oxidation. The effect of changing methanol concentrations and scan rates on the electrochemical characteristics of the modified electrode was studied and it was found that the diffusion process is controlled by methanol rather than OH− ions.

Rare earth magnets with excellent magnetic properties are indispensable in the electric device, wind turbine, and e-mobility industries. The demand for the development of eco-friendly recycling techniques has increased to realize sustainable green technology, and the supply of rare earth resources, which are critical for the production of permanent magnets, are limited. Liquid metal extraction (LME), which is a type of pyrometallurgical recycling, is known to selectively extract the metal forms of rare earth elements. Although several studies have been carried out on the formation of intermetallic compounds and oxides, the effect of oxide formation on the extraction efficiency in the LME process remains unknown. In this study, microstructural and phase analyses are conducted to confirm the oxidation behavior of magnets pulverized by a jaw crusher. The LME process is performed with pulverized scrap, and extraction percentages are calculated to confirm the effect of the oxide phases on the extraction of Dy during the reaction. During the LME p rocess, Nd i s completely e xtracted a fter 6 h, w hile D y remains as D y2Fe17 and Dy-oxide. Because the decomposition rate of Dy2Fe17 is faster than the reduction rate of Dy-oxide, the importance of controlling Dy-oxide on Dy extraction is confirmed.

The activity of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) immobilized in synthetic media (Poly Ethylene Glycol, PEG) and granular form was evaluated comparatively to investigate the effect of influent nitrogen concentration and exposure of oxygen. In ANAMMOX granule reactor, when concentration of influent total nitrogen increased to 500mg/L, removal efficiency of ammonium, nitrite and nitrate were shown to 90.5±6.5, 96.6±4.9, and 93.2±6.1%, respectively. In the case of the PEG gel, it showed lower nitrogen removal performance, resulting in that the removal efficiency of ammonium, nitrite and nitrate were shown to 83.3±13.0, 96.4±6.1, and 90.3±7.5%, respectively. In second step, when exposed to oxygen, the nitrogen removal performance in the ANAMMOX granule reactor also remained stable, but the activity of PEG gel ANAMMOX was found to be inhibited. Consequently, the PEG gel ANAMMOX was a higher sensitivity than that of granular ANAMMOX with two variables applied in this study.