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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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!
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The spotlight shines on a nuclear influencer
Brazilian model, nuclear advocate, and philanthropist Isabelle Boemeke, who the online TED lecture series describes as “the world’s first nuclear energy influencer,” was the subject of a recent New York Times article that explored her ardent support for and advocacy of nuclear technology.
C. L. Fitzgerald, H. W. Godbee, R. E. Blanco, W. Davis, Jr.
Nuclear Technology | Volume 9 | Number 6 | December 1970 | Pages 821-829
Radioactive Waste | doi.org/10.13182/NT70-A28714
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Residues from aqueous and organic intermediate- level radioactive waste can be incorporated in asphalt or polyethylene to reduce the mobility of radionuclides after burial or storage of the solidified waste product. Asphalt or polyethylene products containing up to 60 wt% of nonoxidizing inorganic solids have a chemical resistance similar to that of pure asphalt or polyethylene. Leach rates projected over 200 years indicate that ~5% of a soluble element (sodium or cesium) or 0.6% of an insoluble nuclide (106Ru) would be leached from a 55-gal drum of product submerged in water. Polyethylene accommodated up to 40 wt% of organic liquids, such as tributyl phosphate (TBP), while asphalt products containing 25% TBP were not entirely satisfactory. Polyethylene products were also superior to asphalt products in flammability and radiation stability tests. Incorporation in asphalt is not recommended for waste solids containing significant amounts of oxidants.