In this study, a two-stage electrostatic precipitator (ESP) was developed using a novel automatic dry cleaning device to reduce the ultrafine particles in subway stations. Collection efficiency was evaluated with a pilot scale ESP (1.2m× 1.2m) and the scale of the test duct was half of the subway air handling unit. The maximum collection efficiency for 0.3 μm particles was 96.9%. In addition, we studied a method of automatic dry cleaning for maintenance of the ESP. The cleaning efficiency was analyzed according to the cleaning flow rate for each particle loading amount to achieve a recovery rate over 90%. In addition, we derived the equation to estimate the reduction in collection efficiency according to the particle loading amount. It was confirmed that the performance of the contaminated ESP was restored to the initial state by the automatic dry cleaning in this study and that the electrical energy consumption was 5 times lower compared to utilizing conventional water cleaning.

Cutting reactor pressure vessels (RPV) into acceptable sizes for waste disposal is a key process in dismantling nuclear power plants. In the case of Kori-1, a remote oxyfuel cutting method has been developed by Doosan Heavy Industry & Construction to dismantle RPVs. Cutting radioactive material, such as RPV, generates a large number of fine and ultrafine particles incorporating radioactive isotopes. To minimize radiological exposure of dismantling workers and workplace surface contamination, understanding the characteristics of radioactive aerosols from the cutting process is crucial. However, there is a paucity of knowledge of the by-products of the cutting process. To overcome the limitations, a mock-up RPV cutting experiment was designed and established to investigate the characteristics of fine and ultrafine particles from the remote cutting process of the RPV at the Nuclear Decommissioning Center of Doosan Heavy Industry & Construction. The aerosol measurement system was composed of a cutting system, purification system, sampling system, and measurement device. The cutting system has a shielding tent and oxyfuel cutting torch and remote cutting robot arm. It was designed to prevent fine particle leakage. The shielding tent acts as a cutting chamber and is connected to the purification system. The purification system operates a pressure difference by generating an airflow which delivers aerosols from the cutting system to the purification system. The sampling system was installed at the center of the pipe which connects the shielding tent and purification system and was carefully designed to achieve isokinetic sampling for unbiased sampling. Sampled aerosols were delivered to the measurement device. A high-resolution electrical low-pressure impactor (HR-ELPI+, Dekati) is used to measure the size distribution of inhalable aerosols (Aerodynamic diameter: 6 nm to 10 μm) and to collect size classified aerosols. In this work, the mock-up reactor vessel was cut 3 times to measure the number distribution of fine and ultrafine particles and mass distribution of iron, chromium, nickel, and manganese. The number distribution of aerosols showed the bi-modal distribution; two peaks were positioned at 0.01−0.02 μm and 0.04–0.07 μm respectively. The mass distribution of metal elements showed bi-modal and trimodal distribution. Such results could be criteria for filter selection to be used in the filtration system for the cutting process and fundamental data for internal dose assessment for accidents. Future work includes the investigations relationships between the characteristics of the generated aerosols and physicochemical properties of metal elements.

Ultrafine Au-Pb particles prepared by two method, (1) simultaneous evaporation of Au and Pb in inert gas and (2) subsequent vapor condensation of Pb in a differentially evacuated tube onto flying Au nanoparticles prepared by gasevaporation technique, were observed by electron microscopy. In the method (1), the particles that grew at the region where the two smoke masses converged, consisted of alloy phases. In the method (2), the particles consisted of two or three phases of Au, , and Pb phases in turn from the inner part, Pb-rich particles being composed of only two phases of and Pb.

Ultrafine titanium carbide particles were synthesized by the reaction of liquid-magnesium and vaporized TiCl+CCl(x = 1 and 2) solution. Fine titanium carbide particles with about 50 nm were successfully produced by combining Ti and C atoms released by chloride reduction of magnesium, and vacuum was then used to remove the residual phases of MgCl and excess Mg. Small amounts of impurities such as O, Fe, Mg and Cl were detected in the product, but such problem can be solved by more precise process control. The lattice parameter of the product was 0.43267 nm, near the standard value. With respect to the reaction kinetics, the activation energy for the reactions of TiCl+CCland Mg was found to 69 kJ/mole, which was about half value against the use of TiCl+CCl, and such higher reactivity of the former contributed to increase the stoichiometry until the level of TiC and decrease the free carbon content below 0.3 wt.%.

During May of 2003, smoke from fires in the Yucatan Peninsula was transported across the Gulf of Mexico and into Texas where it caused significant enhancement in measured aerosol concentrations and reduced visibility. During this event, the formation and growth of aerosol particles has been observed by a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) / tandem differential mobility analyzer (TDMA) system to characterize the size distribution and size-resolved hygroscopicity of the aerosol. The most number concentration is by the particles smaller than 100 nm, but the integrated number concentrations for over 100 nm increased due to the aerosol growth. Hygroscopic growth factor increase from 1.2 to 1.4 for 25, 50, and 100 nm particles during the nucleating period. This distribution and the aerosol properties derived from the TDMA data were used to calculate the growth rate. Particle growth rates were in the range 1-12 nm/hr.