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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
August 2025
Latest News
DOE fast tracks test reactor projects: What to know
The Department of Energy today named 10 companies that want to get a test reactor critical within the next year using the DOE’s offer to authorize test reactors outside of national laboratories. As first outlined in one of the four executive orders on nuclear energy released by President Trump on May 23 and in the request for applications for the Reactor Pilot Program released June 18, the companies must use their own money and sites—and DOE authorization—to get reactors operating. What they won’t need is a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license.
L. Poussard, E. Anselmi, B. Blondel, P. Buvat, A. Balland-Longeau
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 49 | Number 4 | May 2006 | Pages 707-713
Technical Paper | Target Fabrication | doi.org/10.13182/FST06-A1190
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Polyimide films are materials of choice as membrane shutters of the hohlraum that contains a plastic microshell in which nuclear products are located to carry out Inertial Confinement Fusion experiments. In addition to high mechanical properties, polymer membranes must exhibit a high transparency in the infrared (IR) wavelengths range between 2.86 and 4 m (3500 and 2500 cm-1) to allow the IR assisted deuterium-tritium ice layer redistribution. UpilexTM type polyimides exhibit the desired mechanical properties but are not transparent in this wavelengths range due to the aromatic C-H stretching bands. In order to provide the required optical properties, the hydrogen atoms must be substituted by deuterium atoms.In the present contribution, we wish to report the first synthesis of a fully deuterated UpilexTM type polyimide. Optimized ways of synthesis and purification for the two deuterated monomers 3,3',4,4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA-d6) and p-phenylene diamine (PDA-d4) have been developed. These monomers have been used to prepare deuterated poly(amic-acid) solutions in NMP. Thermal treatment of films obtained from these solutions gives rise to deuterated Upilex type polyimide films. These films show a high transparency in the 2.86-4 m region. The synthesis and the characterization of this new deuterated polymer will be discussed.
