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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
EPA administrator Lee Zeldin talks the future of nuclear
In a recent interview on New York radio station 77 WABC, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Lee Zeldin talked with host John Catsimatidis about the near-term future of the domestic nuclear industry and the role the EPA will play in the sector.
Catsimatidis kicked off the interview by asking if the U.S. will be able to reach total energy independence. Zeldin responded by saying that decreasing energy dependence on other countries, especially adversaries, was a top priority for him and the Trump administration.
L. Poussard, E. Anselmi, B. Blondel, P. Buvat, A. Balland-Longeau
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 49 | Number 4 | May 2006 | Pages 707-713
Technical Paper | Target Fabrication | doi.org/10.13182/FST06-A1190
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Polyimide films are materials of choice as membrane shutters of the hohlraum that contains a plastic microshell in which nuclear products are located to carry out Inertial Confinement Fusion experiments. In addition to high mechanical properties, polymer membranes must exhibit a high transparency in the infrared (IR) wavelengths range between 2.86 and 4 m (3500 and 2500 cm-1) to allow the IR assisted deuterium-tritium ice layer redistribution. UpilexTM type polyimides exhibit the desired mechanical properties but are not transparent in this wavelengths range due to the aromatic C-H stretching bands. In order to provide the required optical properties, the hydrogen atoms must be substituted by deuterium atoms.In the present contribution, we wish to report the first synthesis of a fully deuterated UpilexTM type polyimide. Optimized ways of synthesis and purification for the two deuterated monomers 3,3',4,4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA-d6) and p-phenylene diamine (PDA-d4) have been developed. These monomers have been used to prepare deuterated poly(amic-acid) solutions in NMP. Thermal treatment of films obtained from these solutions gives rise to deuterated Upilex type polyimide films. These films show a high transparency in the 2.86-4 m region. The synthesis and the characterization of this new deuterated polymer will be discussed.
