ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
Nuclear Technology
August 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
The human factor in licensing and operating the next generation of nuclear plants
As human factors specialists working at the intersection of human performance and nuclear operations, we are witnessing one of the nuclear sector’s most significant transitions in decades. The emergence of small modular reactors, microreactors, and other advanced designs is reshaping the industry’s landscape. Digital instrumentation and controls, passive safety systems, and increased automation are creating opportunities for greater safety margins and more flexible operation. These same features also fundamentally redefine what it means to “operate” a nuclear plant. Interactions among human roles, automation, and passive systems shape how people maintain awareness, exercise judgment, and intervene when necessary. These developments affect both operational realities and the regulatory foundations on which nuclear safety is built.
Stephen Priebe, Ken Bateman
Nuclear Technology | Volume 162 | Number 2 | May 2008 | Pages 199-207
Technical Paper | First International Pyroprocessing Research Conference | doi.org/10.13182/NT08-A3948
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The treatment of spent nuclear fuel for disposition using an electrometallurgical technique results in two high-level waste forms: a ceramic waste form (CWF) and a metal waste form. Reactive metal fuel constituents, including all of the transuranic metals and the majority of the fission products, remain in the salt as chlorides and are processed into the CWF. The solidified salt is containerized and transferred to the CWF process, where it is ground in an argon atmosphere. Zeolite 4A is dried in a mechanically fluidized dryer to ~0.1 wt% moisture and ground to a particle-size range of 45 to 250 m. The salt and zeolite are mixed in a V-mixer and heated to 500°C for ~18 h to occlude the salt into the structure of the zeolite. The salt-loaded zeolite is cooled, mixed with borosilicate glass frit, and transferred to a crucible, which is placed in a furnace and heated to 925°C. During this process, known as pressureless consolidation, the zeolite is converted to the final sodalite form and the glass thoroughly encapsulates the sodalite, producing a dense, leach-resistant final waste form. During the last several years, changes have occurred to the process, including particle size of input materials and conversion from hot isostatic pressing to pressureless consolidation. This paper is intended to provide the current status of the CWF process, focusing on the adaptation to pressureless consolidation. Discussions include impacts of particle size on final waste form and the pressureless consolidation cycle. A model is presented that shows the heating and cooling cycles and the effect of radioactive decay heat on the amount of fission products that can be incorporated into the CWF.