The Role of Transient Radiation-Induced Non-Equilibrium Actinide Species in Solution
Invited seminar on "The Role of Transient Radiation-Induced Non-Equilibrium Actinide Species in Solution."
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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United States-Japan Joint Study on Material Attractiveness: Evaluating the Malicious Act Risks of Nuclear Material Theft
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nuclear fuel cycle, material attractiveness, urani↗
Backend Nuclear Fuel Cycle Radiation Chemistry
Given global commitments to significantly increase nuclear energy capacity, it is now more important than ever to develop efficient used nuclear fuel management strategies to improve resource utilization, energy security, and waste minimization. Here, an overview of nuclear energy, backend fuel cycle challenges, and advances in used nuclear fuel reprocessing radiation chemistry will be presented. More specifically, the use of electron pulse irradiation techniques to explore radiation-induced reaction mechanisms in actinide containing solutions and solvent systems.
38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
Risk Analysis of Radiological Release from Pu-238 Targets During Manual Handling
Pu-238 Isotope Production Targets are routinely installed in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) core, transferred, and stored in the spent fuel canal. These evolutions involve manual handling and manipulation of the targets underwater using long handled tools. The ATR Safety Analysis Report (SAR) postulates a design basis accident which results in damage from manual manipulation of targets, and radiological consequences must be determined for receptors inside the reactor facility, as well as public receptors. This presentation presents the analysis used to determine the radiological consequences due to potential target damage in the ATR canal. The analysis considered radionuclide release fractions, damage ratios for handling evolutions, and entrainment of radionuclides in the canal water.
Advanced Test Reactor↗
Pu-238 Production Progress at Idaho National Laboratory From December 2023 to November 2024
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has continued in the effort to produce Pu-238 to support NASA deep space missions. In support of the production goal of contributing 700 g to the 1.5 kg per year constant rate production of Pu-238 heat source material in the United States by 2026. All available inner core positions of the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) have been qualified for production for a 20% Np target, with efforts nearing completion for a 30% Np target further increasing production amounts. This includes the North East Flux Trap (NEFT), South Flux Trap (SFT), Inner A, H positions. With the completion of qualifying the inner core of ATR, work has started on the qualifying the outer core. The portion of the outer core that will produce Pu-238 includes the Large and Medium I positions. With the continued qualification work, INL is on track to contribute to the production goal by 2026.
07 - ISOTOPES AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
Non-Equilibrium Actinide Radiation Chemistry and the Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Actinides are inherently unstable elements that frequently coexist with other radioisotopes, generating intense ionizing radiation fields that drive the formation of non equilibrium oxidation states. These transient species exert a profound mechanistic influence on the radiation response of actinide containing systems due to their unique redox chemistry. Despite their importance, they remain poorly understood, yet such insight is essential for advancing actinide science and accurately predicting radiation driven behavior. Actinide separations—critical for nuclear energy technologies, strategic deterrence, space exploration, and nuclear medicine—depend on precise control of actinide oxidation states to recover targeted elements from complex matrices such as used nuclear fuel. However, during these processes, actinides, their coordination complexes, and the separation media are all exposed to intense, multicomponent (alpha, beta, gamma, etc.) radiation fields that can alter process efficiency, selectivity, and chemical stability. Understanding, controlling, and mitigating radiation induced reactions is therefore key to innovating and optimizing next generation separation technologies. This seminar will provide an overview of the nuclear fuel cycle and non equilibrium actinide radiation chemistry in the context of recovering actinides from used nuclear fuel, with a particular emphasis on direct dissolution–based reprocessing strategies. We will explore time resolved electron pulse radiolysis and alpha and gamma dose accumulation studies, integrated with multiscale computational modeling, to elucidate the molecular level roles of radiation driven, non equilibrium actinide species in process performance and in the radiolytic stability of organic ligands used for actinide recovery. These insights offer new pathways for designing advanced separation methods and next generation solvent systems, with broad implications for the future of the nuclear fuel cycle.
37 - INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL C↗
Fundamental Radiation Chemistry
An overview presentation for the Fundamental Radiation Chemistry component of the Material Recovery and Waste Form Development campaign to be delivered to the campaign team. The overview includes all major findings from FY19 research projects, current state of FY20 research projects, additional projects completed between FY19 and now, and finally our vision for the future direction of the Fundamental Radiation Chemistry component.
38 - RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCL↗