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Aerospace Nuclear Science & Technology
Organized to promote the advancement of knowledge in the use of nuclear science and technologies in the aerospace application. Specialized nuclear-based technologies and applications are needed to advance the state-of-the-art in aerospace design, engineering and operations to explore planetary bodies in our solar system and beyond, plus enhance the safety of air travel, especially high speed air travel. Areas of interest will include but are not limited to the creation of nuclear-based power and propulsion systems, multifunctional materials to protect humans and electronic components from atmospheric, space, and nuclear power system radiation, human factor strategies for the safety and reliable operation of nuclear power and propulsion plants by non-specialized personnel and more.
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2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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Lightbridge announces first U-Zr fuel rod samples extruded at INL
Lightbridge Corporation announced today that it has reached “a critical milestone” in the development of its extruded solid fuel technology. Coupon samples using an alloy of zirconium and depleted uranium—not the high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) that Lightbridge plans to use to manufacture its fuel for the commercial market—were extruded at Idaho National Laboratory’s Materials and Fuels Complex.
Lawrence N. Oji, Keisha B. Martin, Mary E. Stallings, Martine C. Duff
Nuclear Technology | Volume 154 | Number 2 | May 2006 | Pages 237-246
Technical Paper | Reprocessing | doi.org/10.13182/NT06-A3731
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The laboratory conditions used to synthesize the uranyl silicate minerals are almost identical to the evaporator conditions under which high caustic nuclear wastes are processed to reduce total liquid waste volume. The only significant difference is in the sodium ion concentration in such caustic nuclear wastes, which typically averages ~5.6 M Na+. The goal of this study was to experimentally determine whether uranium silicate minerals can be produced under nuclear waste evaporator conditions. If the formation of these uranium minerals is possible, it may not only lead to the clogging of the evaporators but also result in the accumulation of fissile 235U and thus present a criticality problem.In this investigation, synthetic uranyl silicate minerals (sodium weeksite, sodium boltwoodite, and uranophane) were produced only under low Na+ concentration (<0.02 M), while attempts to synthesize these same uranyl silicate minerals in the presence of high Na+ concentration (high ionic strength reacting media), which is typical of caustic nuclear waste evaporator processing conditions, proved unfruitful. In the presence of high Na+ concentration, the main product for the same soluble silica-uranium reaction mixture shifts toward the formation of mainly clarkeite (Na[(UO2)O(OH)](H2O)0-1), a hydrated sodium uranate, and not toward the formation of uranyl silicates.Thus, the presence of high Na+ concentration in the reaction mixture of dissolved uranium and silica inhibits or suppresses the formation of crystalline uranyl silicates. The conclusion is therefore made that evaporator fouling by uranyl silicate minerals is not easily attained under nuclear waste processing conditions because of the high Na+ concentration in the liquid wastes.