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Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
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Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
The busyness of the nuclear fuel supply chain
Ken Petersenpresident@ans.org
With all that is happening in the industry these days, the nuclear fuel supply chain is still a hot topic. The Russian assault in Ukraine continues to upend the “where” and “how” of attaining nuclear fuel—and it has also motivated U.S. legislators to act.
Two years into the Russian war with Ukraine, things are different. The Inflation Reduction Act was passed in 2022, authorizing $700 million in funding to support production of high-assay low-enriched uranium in the United States. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy this January issued a $500 million request for proposals to stimulate new HALEU production. The Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 includes $2.7 billion in funding for new uranium enrichment production. This funding was diverted from the Civil Nuclear Credits program and will only be released if there is a ban on importing Russian uranium into the United States—which could happen by the time this column is published, as legislation that bans Russian uranium has passed the House as of this writing and is headed for the Senate. Also being considered is legislation that would sanction Russian uranium. Alternatively, the Biden-Harris administration may choose to ban Russian uranium without legislation in order to obtain access to the $2.7 billion in funding.
Carlo Alvani, Sergio Casadio, Lorenzo Lorenzini, Giovanni Brambilla
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 10 | Number 1 | July 1986 | Pages 106-112
Technical Paper | Materials Engineering | doi.org/10.13182/FST86-A24751
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The gamma-LiAlO2 ceramic material is the reference candidate for the solid breeder option of the Next European Torus Program. The experiments and methodologies developed in Italy to produce high surface area gamma-LiAl02 powders to be compacted by cold pressing and sintering at 70 to 90% of the theoretical density, keeping a near fully open porosity is presented. The lithiating step was assessed for the Li2CO3 and Li2O2 precursors reacting with Al2O3 having submicron grain size. Sol-gel methodologies were also developed for the gamma-LiAlO2 preparation by which very high surface area ceramic grade powders were obtained.