No abstract

Structural perturbations and interactions between the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the biopolymer and polyampholyte gelatin, have been studied using small-angle neutron scattering. The effects of temperature and changes in pH have been investigated. Although the physical properties of the systems change dramatically with temperature, from a gel at 25 OC to a fluid at 6 5 T , the effects on the structure over the dimensions probed by small-angle neutron scattering are rather weak. Changes in pH, which alter the net charge of the gelatin, lead to dramatic changes in the scattering for pure gelatin solutions and for surfactant-gelatin mixtures.

No abstract

Many projects involving nuclear fuel rest on a quantitative understanding of the co-existing phases at various stages of burnup. Since the fission products have considerably different abilities to chemically associate with oxygen, and the metal-to-oxygen molar ratio is necessarily increasing, the chemical potential of oxygen is a function of burnup. Concurrently, well-recognized small fractions of new phases such as inert gas, noble metals, zirconates, etc. also develop. To further complicate matters, the dominant UO2 fuel phase may be non-stoichiometric and most of the minor phases themselves have a variable composition dependent on temperature and possible contact with the coolant in the event of a sheathing breach.A thermodynamic database has been in development to predict the phases in partially burned CANDU (CANada Deuterium Uranium) nuclear fuel containing the major fission products. The building blocks are the standard Gibbs energies of formation of the many possible compounds expressed as a function of temperature. To these data are added mixing terms associated with the appearance of the component species in particular phases. In operational terms, the treatment rests on the ability to minimize the Gibbs energy in a multicomponent system using the algorithms developed by Eriksson. The treatment, considered applicable in the range 300 to 2000 °C, is capable of handling non-stoichiometry in the UO2 fluorite phase, dilute solution behaviour of significant solute oxides, noble metal inclusions, a second metal solid solution U(Pd – Rh – Ru)3, zirconate, molybdate, and uranate solutions as well as other minor solid phases, and volatile gaseous species. The paper highlights the current capability of an ongoing project.

The rapid growth of new electronics and energy technologies requires the use of rare elements of the periodic table. For many of these elements, little is known about their environmental behavior or human health impacts. This is true for indium and gallium, two technology critical elements. Increased environmental concentrations of both indium and gallium create the potential for increased environmental exposure, though little is known about the extent of this exposure. Evidence is mounting that indium and gallium can have substantial toxicity, including in occupational settings where indium lung disease has been recognized as a potentially fatal disease caused by the inhalation of indium particles. This paper aims to review the basic chemistry, changing environmental concentrations, potential for human exposure, and known health effects of indium and gallium.