Development of scaling factors for the activated concrete of the KRR-2

The biological shielding concrete of KRR-2 was activated by a thermal neutron reaction during the operation of the reactor, thus a variety of radionuclides were generated in the concrete. In order to verify the radioactivity for the final disposal of waste and to achieve a more efficient cutting of the concrete, the radioactivity inventories and distributions of the activated concrete were evaluated. The activity of gamma-emitting radionuclides was measured by using an HPGe detector. The beta-emitting radionuclides were measured by an oxidation/combustion method for 3H and 14C and a combined method of an extraction chromatography and a liquid scintillation for 55Fe and 63Ni. The dominant radioactive nuclides in the activated concrete were 3H, 14C, 55Fe and 60Co, and the maximum gamma activity was 105 Bq/g at the surface around the thermal column. The specific activities of all the nuclides were found to decrease almost linearly on a logarithmic scale along the depth from the inner surface of the concrete. Equations for scaling factors were obtained by a linear regression of logarithms from the radioactivity data of 3H/ 60Co, 14C/ 60Co and 55Fe/ 60Co nuclide pairs of the activated concrete. The scaling factors can be utilized for the estimation of beta radioactivity without the time consuming separation processes of the nuclides.