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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.
R. E. Leuze, R. D. Baybarz, Boyd Weaver
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 17 | Number 2 | October 1963 | Pages 252-258
Solvent Extraction Chemistry Symposium. Part II. | doi.org/10.13182/NSE63-A28887
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Tramex process, in which trivalent actinides are extracted into tertiary amine hydrochloride from concentrated lithium chloride solution, has been developed for isolation of transplutonium elements from irradiated High Flux Isotope Reactor targets. Tests made in laboratory scale mixer-settlers gave americium losses of about 0.01 % and fission product decontamination factors of equal to or greater than 104. Nickel was the only contaminant that followed the transplutonium elements through the Tramex process. No serious radiation induced effects were noted in 1- to 10-ml batch extraction tests at activity levels up to the proposed processing level of 10 w/liter. A process was developed for splitting transplutonium elements into two fractions. Transcurium elements are extracted into mono-2-ethyl-hexyl phenyl phosphonic acid from dilute hydrochloric acid while americium-curium and nickel contaminant from the Tramex process remain in the aqueous phase. Demonstration in a 10-ml batch countercurrent extraction with simulated feed containing tracers gave a californium loss of about 0.1% and an americium decontamination factor of 103. Important variables for both extraction processes are discussed.