Crystalline Materials for Actinide ImmobilisationThis book summarises approaches and current practices in actinide immobilisation using chemically-durable crystalline materials such as ceramics and monocrystals.As a result of the increasing worldwide growth of the nuclear industry, long-lived à-emitting actinides such as Pu, Np, Am and Cm are fast becoming a serious environmental concern ? actinide-bearing wastes have accumulated in different countries due to nuclear weapons production. On the other hand, as actinides are chemical elements with unique properties they could be beneficially used for humankind in areas such as medicine and technology. Durable actinide-containing materials are attractive for various applications. These include in chemically-inert sources of à-irradiation used for a variety of functions such as energy sources for unmanned space vehicles and microelectronic devices, as well as hosts for nuclear waste and in nuclear fuels to burn excess Pu.Unfortunately, there is currently no appropriate balance between safe actinide disposal and use, even though both processes require their immobilisation in a durable host material. Thus, the choice of an optimal actinide immobilisation route is often a great challenge for specialists.Although a wealth of information exists about actinide properties in many publications, little has been published summarising currently accepted approaches and practices for actinide immobilisation. Crystalline Materials for Actinide Immobilisation fills this gap using information based on the authors' first-hand experience and studies in nuclear materials management and actinide immobilisation. |
Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction to the Actinides | 1 |
Chapter 2 Current and Potential Actinide Applications | 57 |
Chapter 3 Waste Actinide Immobilisation | 73 |
Chapter 4 Synthesis Methods | 111 |
Chapter 5 Examination of Highly Radioactive Samples | 133 |
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Common terms and phrases
9in x 6in accessory minerals actinide host actinide immobilisation actinide-doped admixtures alpha alpha-decays/g americium amorphous Anderson E.B. apatite Basis for Nuclear Burakov B.E. cathodoluminescence ceramic ceramic wasteforms ceramics based chemical durability composition cubic zirconia cumulative dose Dacheux density disposal electron EPMA Face-centred flux formation g/cm³ garnet geochemical hafnon Hanchar host phases host-phases irradiation isotopes Khlopin Radium Institute Kitsay Kitsay A.A. leach tests materials matrix mechanical durability melting metallic metamict minor actinides monazite monoclinic murataite natural neutron non-radioactive NpO2 Nucl nuclear fuel Nuclear Waste Nuclear Waste Management Ojovan oxide perovskite plutonium PNNL powder precursor Proc Pu-doped PuO2 pyrochlore radionuclides reactors Russia samples Scientific Basis self-irradiation single crystals sintering solid solutions Strachan D.M. Synroc synthesis temperature ThO2 thorium Ti-pyrochlore tion transmutation uraninite uranium V.G. Khlopin Radium Waste Management Yagovkina Yudintsev Zamoryanskaya M.V. zircon zirconolite Zirlin V.A. ZrO2