Reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel for the recovery of the fi ssionable materials (mainly uranium and plutonium), is performed by solvent extraction. Thermal oxide reprocessing (THORP) is the most widely used technique in which processing fl uids gradually degrade and form stable emulsions that are referred to as interfacial crud (IFC). IFC is highly viscous and stable and its deposition in the nuclear reprocessing circuit results in blockages and plant shutdown for the recovery of IFC and cleaning of the lines. IFC is also encountered in other non-nuclear extraction processes such as crude oil production from oil wells due to the presence of naturally occurring surface active species in crude oil. In this study, we fi rst investigated the synthesis of a non-radioactive IFC simulants and subsequently examined its demulsifi cation behavior (separation into oil and aqueous components). It was concluded that the IFC is stabilized by surface active species, the removal of which results in the demulsifi cation and subsequent phase separation and the prevention of the IFC re-formation. Demulsifi cation was carried out using sulfonated, microporous, crossed-linked materials known as PolyHIPE Polymers (PHP). Demulsifi cation characteristic of the hydrophilic PHP is unique compared with other demulsifi ers, since the capture of surface active species is largely irreversible and hence, demulsifi ed IFC does not reform upon mixing of the oil and aqueous phases. It is therefore possible to remove surface active species from the reaction circuit continuously.
Additive manufacturing (AM) has had an enormous impact on the manufacturing sector. Its role has evolved from printing prototypes to manufacturing functional parts for a variety of applications in the automotive, aerospace, and medical industries. Recently, AM processes have also been applied in the infrastructure construction industry. Applications of AM processes could bring in significant improvements in infrastructure construction, specifically in the areas of productivity and safety. It is desirable to have a review on the current state of emerging AM processes for infrastructure construction and existing gaps in this field. This paper reviews the AM processes in infrastructure construction. It discusses the process principle, application examples, and gaps for each of the AM processes.
Additive manufacturing (AM) has had an enormous impact in the manufacturing sector. Its role has evolved from printing prototypes to manufacturing functional parts for a variety of applications in the automotive, aerospace, and medical industries. Recently, AM processes have also been applied in the infrastructure construction industry. Applications of AM processes could bring in significant improvements in infrastructure construction, specifically in the areas of productivity and safety. It is desirable to have a review on the current state of emerging AM processes for infrastructure construction as well as existing gaps in this field. This paper reviews AM processes in infrastructure construction. It discusses the process principle, application examples, and gaps for each of the AM processes.
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