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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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!
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What’s in your Dubai chocolate? Nuclear scientists test pistachios for toxins
For the uninitiated, Dubai chocolate is a candy bar filled with pistachio and tahini cream and crispy pastry recently popularized by social media influencers. While it’s easy to dismiss as a viral craze now past its peak, the nutty green confection has spiked global pistachio demand, and growers and processors are ramping up production. That means more pistachios need to be tested for aflatoxins—a byproduct of a common crop mold.
T. A. Gens, R. E. Blanco
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 11 | Number 3 | November 1961 | Pages 267-273
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE61-A26002
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A Modified Zirflex process was developed in the laboratory for dissolution of 1–10 % uranium-zirconium alloy fuels clad in Zircaloy-2 to produce a nitrate solution from which uranium can be recovered by conventional solvent extraction methods. A flowsheet is presented for dissolution of 7% uranium-zirconium alloy in 5.4 M NH4F-0.33 M NH4NO3. Enough 1 M H2O2 is added continually during dissolution to yield 0.13 M H2O2 in the final solution, neglecting the amount reacting. Dissolution of a 70-mil thick sample is complete in 1 hr. The solvent extraction feed is prepared by adding aluminum nitrate and nitric acid to the dissolver solution to yield a stable solvent extraction feed solution of 0.0075 M uranium, 0.25 M zirconium, 1 M aluminum, 2 M fluoride, and 1 M nitric acid. The off-gas is approximately 98.5% NH6, 1% H2, 0.3% O2, and 0.2% N2. Conventional stainless steel such as 309SNb or Hastelloy F appear to be suitable materials of construction with corrosion rates varying from 0.1 to 3.0 mils/month.
