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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Disease-resistant cauliflower created through nuclear science
International Atomic Energy Agency researchers have helped scientists on the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius to develop a variety of cauliflower that is resistant to black rot disease. The cauliflower was developed through innovative radiation-induced plant-breeding techniques employed by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.
D. H. Meikrantz, J. D. Baker, G. L. Bourne, R. J. Pawelko, R. A. Anderl, D. G. Tuggle, H. R. Maltrud
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 27 | Number 2 | March 1995 | Pages 14-18
doi.org/10.13182/FST95-A11963799
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A zirconium alloy getter-based tritium monitoring and collection system has been designed, built, and subsequently operated for three years at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The system is automated to provide separation of tritium from 41Ar, collection of tritium on an hourly basis, unloading of getters for on-line tritium measurement via an ion chamber, and recollection of tritium on removable getters for daily assay in the laboratory. Three different SAES Getters alloys are employed to purify the gas stream (St 909), and separate the tritium from Ar and collect the tritium for measurement (St 727 and St 707). This system has demonstrated on-line tritium measurements as low as 20 μCi per sample with typical decontamination factors from 41Ar of 107. In addition, laboratory studies aimed at the recovery of tritium from graphitic targets have demonstrated further process applications for these getters. Prototypical gas cooled reactor targets, containing encapsulated 6Li, were irradiated at the Advanced Test Reactor at this laboratory. Samples were then heated to high temperatures to allow diffusive release of the tritium into a flowing helium stream. St 909 purifier and St 727 collector getters have been employed to demonstrate an efficient tritium recovery process.