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Reactor Physics
The division's objectives are to promote the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena characterizing nuclear reactors and other nuclear systems. The division encourages research and disseminates information through meetings and publications. Areas of technical interest include nuclear data, particle interactions and transport, reactor and nuclear systems analysis, methods, design, validation and operating experience and standards. The Wigner Award heads the awards program.
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ANS Student Conference 2025
April 3–5, 2025
Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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Colin Judge: Testing structural materials in Idaho’s newest hot cell facility
Idaho National Laboratory’s newest facility—the Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL)—sits across the road from the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF), which started operating in 1975. SPL will host the first new hot cells at INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) in 50 years, giving INL researchers and partners new flexibility to test the structural properties of irradiated materials fresh from the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) or from a partner’s facility.
Materials meant to withstand extreme conditions in fission or fusion power plants must be tested under similar conditions and pushed past their breaking points so performance and limitations can be understood and improved. Once irradiated, materials samples can be cut down to size in SPL and packaged for testing in other facilities at INL or other national laboratories, commercial labs, or universities. But they can also be subjected to extreme thermal or corrosive conditions and mechanical testing right in SPL, explains Colin Judge, who, as INL’s division director for nuclear materials performance, oversees SPL and other facilities at the MFC.
SPL won’t go “hot” until January 2026, but Judge spoke with NN staff writer Susan Gallier about its capabilities as his team was moving instruments into the new facility.
Hwan-Seo Park, In-Tae Kim, Hwan-Young Kim, Byung Gil Ahn, Eung Ho Kim, Han Soo Lee
Nuclear Technology | Volume 172 | Number 3 | December 2010 | Pages 287-294
Technical Paper | Reprocessing | doi.org/10.13182/NT10-A10937
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The molten salt waste from a pryochemical process to recover uranium and transuranic elements is one of the problematic radioactive wastes to be solidified into a durable waste form for its final disposal. This paper suggests a new method as a dechlorination approach to the immobilization of salt waste. The inorganic composite consists of SiO2, Al2O3, and P2O5 (SAP), which can generate a series of reactive sites for metal chlorides when in contact with molten salt. Under an oxidative condition, metal chlorides were successfully dechlorinated and converted into metal aluminosilicate, metal aluminophosphate, and metal orthophosphate, which are manageable at a high temperature. The optimum mixing ratio of SAP/salt in weight is about 2, and a borosilicate glass shows good compatibility with the reaction products containing phosphate compounds. By using a glass, a highly monolithic waste form was successfully fabricated at 1100°C, and more than 33 wt% of mixing ratio of glass as a chemical binder increased the chemical durability of the waste form. Use of SAP as an effective stabilizer can offer a chance to avoid Cl-induced problems and control the vaporization of volatile elements. This allows a high degree of freedom in the fabrication of monolithic waste form.