Assessment and reduction of proliferation risk of reactor-grade plutonium regarding construction of ‘fizzle bombs’ by terrorists

Serfontein, Dawid E.; Mulder, Eben; Reitsma, Frederik

doi:10.1016/j.nucengdes.2013.12.030

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 11 publications

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“…Hence, an emphasis on radionuclides such as 232 Th 90 and 238 U 92 has substantially increased concerning their strategic importance, since both are required to produce the fissile material ( 233 U) essential to burn the nuclear reactors fuel that is useful for nuclear power generation . To combat the effects of a limited supply of fuel and nuclear proliferation, 232 Th 90 has been regarded as one of the enticing substitutes to 238 U 92 , as use of thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle is considered much safer than uranium .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simultaneous Adsorption of Th(IV) and U(VI) Ions from Aqueous Solutions by a Tannic-Acid-Modified Nanomagnetite Adsorbent

Sharma,

Dhiware,

Sharma

et al. 2023

ACS Appl. Eng. Mater.

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Nuclear wastewater remediation provides an intriguing opportunity to successfully remove and recover radioactive elements, especially Th(IV) and U(VI) ions, since they play a crucial role as nuclear fuel and pose a significant threat to the sustainability of the environment. In the present investigation, magnetic nanoparticles were modified by a polyphenolic compound, tannic acid (TA), to develop a tannic acid@magnetite (TA@Fe3O4) nanocomposite for effective adsorption of Th(IV) and U(VI) ions from wastewater. To more accurately predict the effective adsorption of the ions, adsorbents varying in the mass ratio of TA and Fe3O4 were synthesized, and also the practical utility of the adsorbent was evaluated by employing batch adsorption studies under the conditions of pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and initial concentration. The maximum removal efficiency, i.e., 99.42% and 92.63% for Th(IV) and U(VI) ions, respectively, was obtained with a 1:2 ratio of TA@Fe3O4 at pH 6 with 6 mg of absorbent dosage of 10 mL of 50 ppm thorium and uranium solution in 20 min. Further, the experimental data were attributed to the isotherms and kinetic models, corresponding the adsorption system with the Langmuir model of the isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics, thus revealing the monolayer chemisorption process of adsorption for both ions. The TA@Fe3O4 nanocomposite exhibited high recyclability with seven adsorption–desorption cycles via magnetic separation, indicating its potential application in wastewater treatment. Hence, on the basis of facile, low-cost precursors for large-scale manufacturing and excellent recyclability, this work presents a potential and promising strategy of the TA@Fe3O4 nanocomposite for enhanced removal of radionuclides for wastewater reclamation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simultaneous Adsorption of Th(IV) and U(VI) Ions from Aqueous Solutions by a Tannic-Acid-Modified Nanomagnetite Adsorbent

Sharma,

Dhiware,

Sharma

et al. 2023

ACS Appl. Eng. Mater.

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Investigate the possibility of burning weapon-grade plutonium using a concentric rods BS assembly of VVER-1200

Galahom

2020

Annals of Nuclear Energy

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Mini-Reactor Proliferation-Resistant Fuel with Burnable Gadolinia in Once-Through Operation Cycle Performance Verification

Bess,

Chang,

Moo

et al. 2024

JNE

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A miniature nuclear reactor is desirable for deployment as a localized nuclear power station in support of a carbon-free power supply. Coupling aspects of proliferation-resistant fuel with natural burnable absorber loading are evaluated for once-through operation cycle performance to minimize the need for refueling and fuel shuffling operations. The incorporation of 0.075 wt.% 237Np provides favorable plutonium isotopic vectors throughout an operational lifetime of 5.5 years. providing 35 MWe. Core performance was assessed using a verification-by-comparison approach for core designs with or without 237Np and/or gadolinia burnable absorber. Burnup Monte Carlo calculations were performed via MCOS coupling of MCNP and ORIGEN to an achievable burnup of ~62.5 GWd/t. The results demonstrate a minimal penalty to reactor performance due to the addition of these materials as compared against the reference design. Coupling of a proliferation-resistant fuel concept with a uniform loading of natural gadolinia burnable absorber for LEU+ fuel (7.5 wt.% 235U/U UO2) provides favorable excess reactivity considerations with minimized concerns for additional residual waste and more uniform distribution of un-depleted 235U in discharged fuel assemblies.

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Assessment and reduction of proliferation risk of reactor-grade plutonium regarding construction of ‘fizzle bombs’ by terrorists

Cited by 3 publications

References 11 publications

Simultaneous Adsorption of Th(IV) and U(VI) Ions from Aqueous Solutions by a Tannic-Acid-Modified Nanomagnetite Adsorbent

Simultaneous Adsorption of Th(IV) and U(VI) Ions from Aqueous Solutions by a Tannic-Acid-Modified Nanomagnetite Adsorbent

Investigate the possibility of burning weapon-grade plutonium using a concentric rods BS assembly of VVER-1200

Mini-Reactor Proliferation-Resistant Fuel with Burnable Gadolinia in Once-Through Operation Cycle Performance Verification

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