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
Isotopes & Radiation
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.
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
May 2024
Jan 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
June 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Ukraine releases video of Russian “kamikaze” drones flying near nuclear plant
New reports allege Russia is flying kamikaze drones and firing small arms near the site of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Europe’s largest such facility, Zaporizhzhia has been under Russian control since 2022.
Eric J. Karell, Karthick V. Gourishankar, James L. Smith, Lorac S. Chow, Laszlo Redey
Nuclear Technology | Volume 136 | Number 3 | December 2001 | Pages 342-353
Technical Paper | Reprocessing | doi.org/10.13182/NT136-342
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Results are presented of work done at Argonne National Laboratory to develop a molten-salt-based electrochemical technology for extracting uranium and transuranic elements from spent light water reactor fuel. In this process, the actinide oxides in the spent fuel are reduced using lithium at 650°C in the presence of molten LiCl, yielding the corresponding actinides and Li2O. The actinides are then extracted from the reduction product by means of electrorefining. Associated with the reduction step is an ancillary salt-recovery step designed to electrochemically reduce the Li2O concentration of the salt and recover the lithium metal.Experiments were performed at the laboratory scale (50 to 150 g of fuel and 0.5 to 3.5 l of salt) and engineering scale (3.7 to 5.2 kg of fuel and 50 l of salt). Laboratory-scale experiments were designed to obtain information on the fundamental factors affecting process rates. Engineering-scale experiments were conducted to verify that the parameters controlling process scaleup are sufficiently understood, and to test equipment and operating concepts at or near full scale. All indications are that the electrochemical-based process should be workable at practical plant sizes.