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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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New coolants, new fuels: A new generation of university reactors
Here’s an easy way to make aging U.S. power reactors look relatively youthful: Compare them (average age: 43) with the nation’s university research reactors. The 25 operating today have been licensed for an average of about 58 years.
E. L. Childs, J. L. Long
Nuclear Technology | Volume 54 | Number 2 | August 1981 | Pages 208-214
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT81-A32736
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An electrolytic plutonium decontamination process for stainless steel was developed for use as the final step in a proposed radioactive waste handling and decontamination facility to be constructed at the Rockwell International Rocky Flats plutonium handling facility. The process utilizes a basic (pH > 7) electrolyte which has been patented (U.S. Patent 4 193 853). Filtration can be used to separate most radioactive contaminants and dissolved metal from the electrolyte. A test plan was executed comparing the basic electrolyte with phosphoric acid and nitric acid electrolytes. Laboratory-scale testing was done with stainless steel exposed to plutonium and americium. The alpha activity was reduced to <0.14 dis/min-cm-2. The amount of wet sludge generated with the basic electrolyte was ∼170 mg/cm2 of surface decontaminated.