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Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy
The mission of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy Division (NNPD) is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology while simultaneously preventing the diversion and misuse of nuclear material and technology through appropriate safeguards and security, and promotion of nuclear nonproliferation policies. To achieve this mission, the objectives of the NNPD are to: Promote policy that discourages the proliferation of nuclear technology and material to inappropriate entities. Provide information to ANS members, the technical community at large, opinion leaders, and decision makers to improve their understanding of nuclear nonproliferation issues. Become a recognized technical resource on nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards, and security issues. Serve as the integration and coordination body for nuclear nonproliferation activities for the ANS. Work cooperatively with other ANS divisions to achieve these objective nonproliferation policies.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Latest News
Norway’s Halden reactor takes first step toward decommissioning
The government of Norway has granted the transfer of the Halden research reactor from the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) to the state agency Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning (NND). The 25-MWt Halden boiling water reactor operated from 1958 to 2018 and was used in the research of nuclear fuel, reactor internals, plant procedures and monitoring, and human factors.
Catharina Nästrén, Asunción Fernandéz-Carretero, Joseph Somers
Nuclear Technology | Volume 181 | Number 2 | February 2013 | Pages 331-336
Technical Paper | Fuel Cycle and Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT13-A15787
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Use of composites of actinide oxides dispersed in a Mo metal matrix is a recent inert matrix fuel concept for the transmutation of Pu and the minor actinides (Np, Am, and Cm). These elements are present in spent nuclear fuel, and their long-term radiotoxicity can be minimized if they are recovered from the fuel and irradiated in dedicated targets in nuclear reactors. The synthesis of such highly radioactive fuels is not simple, and given the high radiotoxicity of Am, the safety of operation of such a process must be examined for production of small-scale analytical batches. Infiltration of americium nitrate into porous PuO2 beads has potential safety bonuses. The beads are produced by a sol-gel external gelation route. Tests have been developed here with CeO2, as a surrogate for PuO2, and have been optimized for both bead production and pelletization of a blend of calcined beads and Mo powder. Addition of carbon to the sol-gel feed solution and its subsequent pyrolysis provides a means to optimize the porosity of the oxide beads. The carbon acts as a pore former. The highest-quality product meeting typical fuel specifications required addition of 20 g/l carbon in the sol-gel feed and calcination of the CeO2 beads at 800°C. Subsequent Mo cermet composites with 20 or 40 vol% of ceramic reached densities in excess of 90% of the theoretical value as is required for nuclear reactor applications. Finally, the step from CeO2 surrogates to (Pu, Am)O2 targets has been made and pellets of excellent quality produced.