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INL reports findings on unusual quantum behavior of plutonium
Scientists at Idaho National Laboratory have discovered that plutonium hexaboride (PuB6) displays a type of unusual quantum property called a topological Kondo insulating state. Materials with this property are neither typical electricity conductors nor regular insulators. Rather, they have exterior surfaces that strongly conduct electricity and interiors that block electricity.
Kazuichiro Hashimoto, Gunji Nishio, Kunihisa Soda
Nuclear Technology | Volume 101 | Number 2 | February 1993 | Pages 218-226
Technical Paper | Enrichment and Reprocessing System | doi.org/10.13182/NT93-A34783
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A solvent fire in the extraction process of a fuel reprocessing plant is postulated. Because of the high concentration of fission products and large amount of nuclear fuel materials in the extraction process, it is necessary to demonstrate that these radioactive materials can be confined by the air ventilation system during a solvent fire. Large-scale tests are performed in a fire/filter facility to evaluate the effectiveness of a ventilation system including high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to confine radioactive materials. It is demonstrated that the integrity of the filters in the ventilation system can be maintained, and the decontamination factor of HEPA filters for smoke particles, which might contain radioactive materials, is sufficiently high during a postulated solvent fire.