Chlorination-Volatilization Processing of Irradiated Uranium Dioxide, (I)

Determination of irradiated reactor uranium in soil samples in Belarus using 236U as irradiated uranium tracer.

This work presents experimental results on the distribution of irradiated reactor uranium from fallout after the accident at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in comparison to natural uranium distribution in different soil types. Oxidation processes and vertical migration of irradiated uranium in soils typical of the 30 km relocation area around Chernobyl NPP were studied using 236U as the tr...

Configurational analysis of uranium-doped thorium dioxide

While thorium dioxide is already used industrially in high temperature applications, more insight is needed about the behaviour of the material as part of a mixed-oxide (MOX) nuclear fuel, incorporating uranium. We have developed a new interatomic potential model, commensurate with a prominent existing UO2 potential, to conduct configurational analyses of uranium-doped ThO2 supercells. Using th...

Molten uranium dioxide structure and dynamics.

Uranium dioxide (UO2) is the major nuclear fuel component of fission power reactors. A key concern during severe accidents is the melting and leakage of radioactive UO2 as it corrodes through its zirconium cladding and steel containment. Yet, the very high temperatures (>3140 kelvin) and chemical reactivity of molten UO2 have prevented structural studies. In this work, we combine laser heating,...

Visible optical spectra of [MATH]-irradiated uranium - doped ZBLAN fibres

Actinides, particularly uranium, are again of interest because these elements provide a broad spectroscopic tunability and open a new field offibre laser applications. The uranium ion possesses many oxidation states, the most stable being U4+ and ~ 6 + . U3+ is an unusual oxidation state in fluorides. U3+ is of interest because it can provide an eflcient laser emission of between 2 and 2.7 jm. ...

Mathematical Modeling of Fluorination Reaction of Uranium Dioxide and Evaluation of Existing Gas-Solid Reaction Models