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At least 1,279 records · Page 71
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Dissolution of Low Enriched Uranium from Experimental Breeder Reactor-II Fuel

A dissolution flowsheet for the Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) ingots generated at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) from the electrochemical processing of the EBR-II fuel was demonstrated at the laboratory scale. Dissolution experiments were performed using samples of the LEU and a carbon steel can and an integrated experiment was performed in which an Al 1100 alloy was dissolved as a surrogate for Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) followed by the dissolution of samples of the LEU and carbon steel can to demonstrate the complete flowsheet. The flowsheet allows the dissolution of a SNF batch in an H-Canyon dissolver using existing flowsheets followed by the dissolution of nominally 75 kg of LEU in the 6.4D dissolver or 45 kg of LEU in the 6.1D dissolver which were recovered from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) fuel. In the demonstration experiment, the rate of dissolution of the LEU metal was significantly slower than the dissolution rate of the Al 1100 alloy (4.7 versus 27 mg/min/cm 2 ) which projects to a longer cycle time for the LEU metal (compared to a SNF charge). Here, the H 2 generation rates from the dissolution of samples of the LEU metal and a carbon steel can were monitored by mass spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy and were shown to be inconsequential; therefore, the dissolution of the LEU ingots has no significant impact on the generation of H 2 .

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Action levels for airborne uranium in the workplace: chemical and radiological assessments

In this study, a method is described for deriving two levels of action—an investigation level (IL) and an immediate action level (IAL)—for different forms and mixtures of the natural uranium (U) isotopes 234 U, 235 U, and 238 U in air in the workplace. An IL indicates the need to confirm the validity of moderately elevated measurements of airborne U and adequacy of confinement controls and determine whether work limitations are appropriate. An IAL indicates that safeguards should be put into place immediately, including removal of workers from further exposure until conditions are acceptable. Derivations of ILs and IALs are based on latest radiation protection guidance, information on chemical toxicity of U, and biokinetic models for U. An action level (IL or IAL) is the more restrictive of two derived values, the action level based on U as a chemical hazard and the action level based on U as a radiation hazard.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Respirable Uranyl-Vanadate-Containing Particulate Matter Derived From a Legacy Uranium Mine Site Exhibits Potentiated Cardiopulmonary Toxicity

Exposure to windblown particulate matter (PM) arising from legacy uranium (U) mine sites in the Navajo Nation may pose a human health hazard due to their potentially high metal content, including U and vanadium (V). To assess the toxic impact of PM derived from Claim 28 (a priority U mine) compared with background PM, and consider the putative role of metal species U and V. Two representative sediment samples from Navajo Nation sites (Background PM and Claim 28 PM) were obtained, characterized in terms of chemistry and morphology, and fractioned to the respirable (≤ 10 μm) fraction. Mice were dosed with either PM sample, uranyl acetate, or vanadyl sulfate via aspiration (100 µg), with assessments of pulmonary and vascular toxicity 24 h later. Particulate matter samples were also examined for in vitro effects on cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, phagocytosis, and inflammasome induction. Claim 28 PM 10 was highly enriched with U and V and exhibited a unique nanoparticle ultrastructure compared with background PM 10 . Claim 28 PM10 exhibited enhanced pulmonary and vascular toxicity relative to background PM 10 . Both U and V exhibited complementary pulmonary inflammatory potential, with U driving a classical inflammatory cytokine profile (elevated interleukin [IL]-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and keratinocyte chemoattractant/human growth-regulated oncogene) while V preferentially induced a different cytokine pattern (elevated IL-5, IL-6, and IL-10). Claim 28 PM 10 was more potent than background PM 10 in terms of in vitro cytotoxicity, impairment of phagocytosis, and oxidative stress responses. Resuspended PM 10 derived from U mine waste exhibit greater cardiopulmonary toxicity than background dusts. Finally, rigorous exposure assessment is needed to gauge the regional health risks imparted by these unremediated sites.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Capturing the ground state of uranium dioxide from first principles: Crystal distortion, magnetic structure, and phonons

Uranium dioxide (UO 2 ) remains a formidable challenge for first-principles approaches due to the complex interplay among spin-orbit coupling, Mott physics, magnetic ordering, and crystal distortions. Here we use DFT+U to explore UO 2 at zero temperature, incorporating all the aforementioned phenomena. The technical challenge is to navigate the many metastable electronic states produced by DFT+U, which is accomplished using f-orbital occupation matrix control to search for the ground state. We restrict our search to the high-symmetry ferromagnetic phase, including spin-orbit coupling, which produces a previously unreported occupation matrix. This newfound occupation matrix is then used as an initialization to explore the broken symmetry phases. We find the oxygen cage distortion of the 3k antiferromagnetic state to be in excellent agreement with experiments, and both the spin-orbit coupling and the Hubbard U are critical ingredients. Further, we demonstrate that only select phonon modes have a strong dependence on the Hubbard U, whereas magnetic ordering has only a small influence overall. We perform measurements of the phonon dispersion curves using inelastic neutron scattering, and our calculations show good agreement when using reasonable values of U. The quantitative success of DFT+U warrants exploration of thermal transport and other observables within this level of theory.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Remediation of subsurface and groundwater contamination with uranium from fuel fabrication facilities at Hanau (Germany)

This paper presents aspects of site decommissioning and clearance of a former fuel fabrication facility (development and production of fuel assemblies for research reactors and HTR) at Hanau (Germany). The main pathways for environmental contamination were deposition on soil surface and topsoil and pollution of deep soil and the aquifer by waste water channel leakage. Soil excavation could be done by classical excavator techniques. An effective removal of material from the saturated zone was possible by using advanced drilling techniques. A large amount of demolished building structure and excavated soil had to be classified. Therefore the use of conveyor detector was necessary. Nearly 100000 Mg of material (excavated soil and demolished building material) were disposed of at an underground mine. A remaining volume of 700 m{sup 3} was classified as radioactive waste. Site clearance started in 2006. Groundwater remediation and monitoring is still ongoing, but has already provided excellent results by reducing the remaining Uranium considerably. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Experiences with new neutralization technologies for remediation after ISL mining of uranium in Straz Pod Ralskem

A big affection of the rock environment and groundwaters occurred during the chemical mining of uranium in the years 1966 to 1996 in the neighbourhood of the town Straz pod Ralskem in the Czech Republic. It is necessary to clean the residual technological solutions (RTS) from the underground. The pH of the solutions in some places is still less than 2 and the concentration of sulphates reaches up to 65 g/l. The remedial activities consist of pumping of the RTS from the ground and reprocessing of the RTS in the surface technologies. The implementation of the new neutralization technologies NDS ML and NDS 10 help us with increasing of the efficiency of the remedial process. The NDS ML technology ('Mother liquor reprocessing station') started its operation in 2009 and it processes the concentrated technological solution from the evaporation station after the alum crystallization (mother liquor) with the concentration of total dissolved solids up to 250 g/l. The principle is the neutralization of the acid solutions with the aid of the lime milk. The suspension is then filtrated in the filter press, the filter cake is deposited in the tailings pond and the filtrate is injected back into the underground rock environment. The NDS 10 technology ('Neutralization and Decontamination Station NDS 10') started its operation in 2012 and it works on the same technological principle as the NDS ML station. The difference is that the NDS 10 station can process higher volume (4.4 m{sup 3}/min) of the RTS with lower concentration of total dissolved solids 20 - 25 g/l. This poster describes the experiences of the state enterprise DIAMO with putting of these two neutralization technologies into operation and with using of the lime milk neutralization in such a large scale. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Multielectronic and multiatomic effects in the U O 4,5 x-ray absorption spectroscopy of uranium dioxide

In order to explain all of the spectral features observed in the U O 4,5 x-ray absorption spectrum of uranium dioxide (UO 2 ), it is necessary to include both multielectron effects and multiatomic effects. The 5d (core hole)-5f (electron) angular momentum coupling that gives rise to the giant resonance has been treated within ligand field density functional theory, and the electron scattering that generates the extended x-ray absorption fine structure has been included via the spectral simulation program FEFF: both within a UO 8 fluorite cluster picture. An atomic model is insufficient to explain all of the observed spectral features.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Fixed-Angle Reflectance from Uranium Compounds and U-Bearing Minerals: Experimental Challenges to Determine the Optical Constants n and k

Fixed-angle reflectance spectroscopy using a commercial Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer was employed to derive the optical constants n and k of several uranium compounds. This technique relies upon measurement of the quantitative reflectance R(?) spectra from a polished surface across a broad spectral range (in this case, the mid- and far-IR covering ca. 7500 to 50 cm-1) followed by application of the Kramers-Kronig transformation (KKT). Near-normal fixed-angle measurements as used in this technique require continuous reflectance spectra to as low a wavenumber value as possible. Here, we discuss some of the many challenges in measuring the far-IR and very far-IR (terahertz) spectra using an interferometric instrument, particularly those stemming from small sample sizes, typically just millimeters on a face for crystalline samples, as well as limitations due to optical components and diffraction. We apply this method to single-crystal UO2 and its mineralogical form uraninite, as well as other U-bearing minerals such as autunite [Ca(UO2)2(PO4)2·8-12H2O] and the dehydrated form of autunite, meta-autunite. In addition to the specular reflectance spectra, x-ray diffractometry was used as a confirmatory technique to analyze the surface composition of the species. Deriving the infrared optical constants for such U-bearing species (as well as other solids) will enable nondestructive detection under a variety of environmental and compositional conditions.

Uranium Minerals, infrared spectroscopy, optical c↗
DOE OSTI2017

Identifying Rare Earth Elements and Thorium and Uranium in Iron Oxide–Apatite Deposit of Gazestan Bafgh, Southeast of Iran

The Gazestan magnetite-apatite deposit is one of Kiruna-type deposits located 78 km from Bafgh in the province of Yazd, in the Bafgh Posht-e-Badam district, southeast of Iran. In the mining region of Bafgh, volcanic rocks and Precambrian volcano-sedimentary are the main host of iron-apatite deposits. Iron deposits are essentially located in Bafgh region inside the green acidic metamorphic rocks. Volcanic rocks are basically rhyolite and rhyodacitic and the sedimentary units are mostly made of dolomite. Rock units of the region belong to the Rizzo series. The Bafgh apatite compounds are fluoride-type and seen in the monazite mineral. The similarity of the rare earth elements pattern in all samples indicates the magma source. The most amount of rare earth elements in the Gazestan deposit include 7766.25 ppm and the most amount of Th is equal to 65.1 ppm and U is equal to 8.33 ppm. The most amount of P2O5 s equal to 26.5 wt% and Fe is equal to 61.3 wt%. Also, it can be concluded that due to their high correlation with rare earth elements, the deposit is of Uranium Thorium-bearing type.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Atomistic Simulation of the Fission-Fragment-Induced Formation of Defects in a Uranium–Molybdenum Alloy

The formation of defects in a uranium–molybdenum alloy induced by xenon and zirconium ion irradiation with energies typical of fission fragments has been simulated within the two-temperature atomistic model and Monte Carlo method. This has allowed estimating the total number of primary radiation defects formed at the “thermal spike” stage and in collision cascades for different temperatures. The calculated threshold stopping powers of ions responsible for the formation of defects at the thermal spike stage are in good agreement with the available theoretical and experimental data.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Verification of the MCU precision code and ROSFOND neutron data in application to the calculations of criticality of fast reactors with highly enriched uranium

Calculation of 335 critical assemblies (benchmark experiments) with the core of highly enriched uranium and reflectors of various materials is performed. The statistical analysis of the results shows that, for all 16 materials studied, the absolute value of the most probable deviation of the calculated value of K{sub eff} from the experimental one does not exceed 0.005.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2016

On the equilibrium isotopic composition of the thorium–uranium–plutonium fuel cycle

The equilibrium isotopic compositions and the times to equilibrium in the process of thorium–uranium–plutonium oxide fuel recycling in VVER-type reactors using heavy water mixed with light water are estimated. It is demonstrated thEhfat such reactors have a capacity to operate with self-reproduction of active isotopes in the equilibrium mode.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Characterization and Optimization of a Spectral Window for Direct Gaseous Uranium Hexafluoride Enrichment Assay Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Through a systematic scanning of 235 U and 238 U emission lines between 280 nm and 745 nm, the optimal emission line for direct gaseous uranium hexafluoride (UF 6 ) enrichment assay using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was found. Screening for spectral features that are potentially useful for U isotopic analysis was gauged from the magnitude of the 235 U– 238 U isotopic shift and the signal-to-background ratio of the emission line through a parameter termed ΔSBR 235U–238U . The ΔSBR spectrum shows peaks at wavelength positions where there are strong lines with significant 235 U– 238 U shifts. The screening identified 13 spectral-window candidates, which were down selected based on their overall accuracy in predicting the 235 U enrichment of three UF 6 samples of natural (0.720 atom% 235 U) and low-enriched (4.675 atom% and 9.157 atom% 235 U) grades. The U(I) 646.498 nm emission line, with a determined 235 U– 238 U isotopic shift of -17.7 pm, was found to be the optimal spectral window for direct UF 6 enrichment assay. The root mean square error for enrichment assays on the three natural and low-enriched UF 6 samples, with each sample measured in six replicates, was 0.31% in absolute 235 U content. Each measurement comprised LIBS signals accumulated from 3000 laser shots. In conclusion, the analytical bias and precision were better than 0.5% and 0.3%, respectively, in absolute [ 235 U/( 235 U + 238 U)] ratios. Specific for the two low-enriched UF 6 samples, the relative standard deviations from six replicated measurements were around 2%.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2015

Numerical comparison of hydrogen desorption behaviors of metal hydride beds based on uranium and on zirconium-cobalt

In this paper, the hydrogen delivery capabilities of uranium (U) and zirconium-cobalt (ZrCo) are compared quantitatively in order to find the optimum getter materials for tritium storage. A three-dimensional hydrogen desorption model is applied to two identically designed cylindrical beds with the different materials, and hydrogen desorption simulations are then conducted. The simulation results show superior hydrogen delivery performance and easier thermal management capability for the U bed. This detailed analysis of the hydrogen desorption behaviors of beds with U and ZrCo will help to identify the optimal bed material, bed design, and operating conditions for the storage and delivery system in ITER. (authors)

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Caustic Precipitation of Plutonium and Uranium with Gadolinium as a Neutron Poison

Here, the caustic precipitation of plutonium (Pu) and uranium (U) from Pu and U containing waste solutions has been investigated to determine whether gadolinium (Gd) could be used as a neutron poison for precipitation with greater than a fissile mass containing both Pu and enriched U. Precipitation experiments were performed using both actual samples and simulant solutions with a range of 2.6-5.16 g/L U and 0-4.3 to 1 U to Pu. Analyses were performed on solutions at intermediate pH to determine the partitioning of elements for accident scenarios. When both Pu and U were present in the solution, precipitation began at pH 4.5 and by pH 7, 99% of Pu and U had precipitated. When complete neutralization was achieved at pH greater than 14 with 1.2 M excess OH - , greater than 99% of Pu, U, and Gd had precipitated. At pH greater than 14, the particles sizes were larger and the distribution was a single mode. The ratio of hydrogen to fissile atoms in the precipitate was determined after both settling and centrifuging and indicates that sufficient water was associated with the precipitates to provide the needed neutron moderation for Gd to prevent a criticality in solutions containing up to 4.3 to 1 U to Pu and up to 5.16 g/L U.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2017

A Nuclearly Safe Triangular-Slab Tank for Handling Enriched Uranium

In this study, an improved abrasive slurry tank for use with conventional liquid-honing machines was built and tested. Its shape, a 1.7-in.- (4.3-cm)-thick triangular slab, promotes good mixing by improving recirculation and is nuclearly safe for uranium enriched to 93% 235 U.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Lattice dynamics of alpha-uranium measured on ARCS.

The combined inelastic neutron scattering data from ARCS for alpha-Uranium single crystal measured at 300K, 200K, 70K and 20K. The incident neutron energy was 30 meV. To obtain a significant four-dimensional Q-E volume, the crystal was measured in two scattering geometries, with the [001] and [011] directions oriented along the vertical rotations axis. For each geometry, the crystal was rotated in 1 degree steps with respect to the incident beam. All the individual angles data files at each temperature were merged and analyzed using SHIVER software package (https://neutrons.github.io/Shiver/). The files labeled a_U_HKL_20K_new.nxs, a_U_HKL_70K.nxs, a_U_HKL_200K.nxs and a_U_HKL_300K.nxs are for [011] oriented scattering at 20K, 70K, 200K, and 300K respectively. The files labeled a_U_HK0_70K.nxs, a_U_HK0_200K.nxs and a_U_HK0_300K.nxs are for [001] oriented scattering at temperatures 70K, 200K and 300K respectively.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Feasibility Study of Economics and Performance of Geothermal Power Generation at the Lakeview Uranium Mill Site in Lakeview, Oregon

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in accordance with the RE-Powering America's Land initiative, selected the Lakeview Uranium Mill site in Lakeview, Oregon, for a feasibility study of renewable energy production. The EPA contracted with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to provide technical assistance for the project. The purpose of this report is to describe an assessment of the site for possible development of a geothermal power generation facility and to estimate the cost, performance, and site impacts for the facility. In addition, the report recommends development pathways that could assist in the implementation of a geothermal power system at the site.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗