ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Division Spotlight
Materials Science & Technology
The objectives of MSTD are: promote the advancement of materials science in Nuclear Science Technology; support the multidisciplines which constitute it; encourage research by providing a forum for the presentation, exchange, and documentation of relevant information; promote the interaction and communication among its members; and recognize and reward its members for significant contributions to the field of materials science in nuclear technology.
Meeting Spotlight
2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
Latest Magazine Issues
Mar 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
April 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
February 2024
Latest News
PG&E to dredge Diablo Canyon intake system
The owners of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant plan to dredge a massive buildup of shoaled sediment from its seawater intake cove.
Pacific Gas and Electric spokesperson Suzanne Hosn said, “The dredging project in the Diablo Canyon marina will remove approximately 70,000 cubic yards of sediment to prevent circumstances that could impact the power plant’s cooling system. Dredging will take place for the first time since operations began because of a rapid increase in sediment.”
Byung-Gil Ahn, Hwan-Seo Park, In-Tae Kim, Han-Soo Lee
Nuclear Technology | Volume 173 | Number 3 | March 2011 | Pages 300-309
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste Management and Disposal | doi.org/10.13182/NT11-A11663
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The waste generated from a pyrochemical process to recover uranium and transuranic elements has been one of the problematic wastes because of high volatility and low compatibility with silicate glass. For the minimization of final waste, an oxidative precipitation by sparging oxygen has been under development, and the waste containing rare earth oxides (REOs) and volatile salt is expected to be generated. This study intended to find a way to immobilize these kinds of wastes under the limitations of a processing temperature ([approximately]1200°C) and a waste loading ([approximately]20 wt%). From a series of consolidation experiments, it was induced that Ca-rich silicate glass is effective in consolidating the REOs at relatively low temperature. Based on this result, CaO-SiO2-P2O5 (CaPS) was designed to provide a way to control the volatility of waste and to avoid glass effects in the consolidation at a given temperature. By using a CaPS, REOs were consolidated, regardless of glass composition. At a high content of metal chlorides, CaPS can control the volatility up to 1200°C, but it has a low ability to immobilize alkali metal elements. For this, SiO2-Al2O3-P2O5 (SAP) was suggested to treat LiCl-KCl salt in precipitate. This composite can also control the volatility up to 1200°C, and it converted the REOs into monazite at 650°C, where the entire metal elements in chloride form are changed into relatively stable compounds. The leach test by the product consistency test-method A confirmed the immobilization ability of SAP for waste with a high content of metal chlorides. In conclusion, this study suggests the approach concept to treat a waste containing volatile compounds. For a lower content of metal chloride, CaPS are more favorable, and for a high content of metal chlorides, SAP is more effective to fabricate a wasteform for final disposal.