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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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The RAIN scale: A good intention that falls short
Radiation protection specialists agree that clear communication of radiation risks remains a vexing challenge that cannot be solved solely by finding new ways to convey technical information.
Earlier this year, an article in Nuclear News described a new radiation risk communication tool, known as the Radiation Index, or, RAIN (“Let it RAIN: A new approach to radiation communication,” NN, Jan. 2025, p. 36). The authors of the article created the RAIN scale to improve radiation risk communication to the general public who are not well-versed in important aspects of radiation exposures, including radiation dose quantities, units, and values; associated health consequences; and the benefits derived from radiation exposures.
Charles Madic, Gerard Koehly
Nuclear Technology | Volume 41 | Number 3 | December 1978 | Pages 323-340
Technical Paper | Chemical Processing | doi.org/10.13182/NT78-A32117
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The addition of pelargonic, capric, α-bromocapric, α-fluorocapric, and 3-fluorobenzoic acids to organic trilaurylammonium nitrate solutions significantly modifies the extraction of U(VI), Np(IV), and Pu(IV). Antagonism appears at strong nitric acidities, while enhancement of the extraction of U(VI) and Pu(IV) is observed at weak acidities. The antagonism observed is due to the formation of addition compounds between trilaurylammonium nitrate (R3NHNO3) and carboxylic acids (HA) = for pelargonic and capric acids, and for α-bromocapric, α-fluorocapric, and 3-fluorobenzoic acids. Extraction of UO22+, Am3+, Th4+, Np4+, and Pu4+ by capric, α-bromocapric, and 3-fluorobenzoic acids showed that the extractive power of these carboxylic acids is inadequate for the observation of extraction enhancement. The study of the organic phase by the measurement of nitric acid displacement and by dielectric method shows that trilaurylamine and carboxylic acids react to give the compounds (pelargonic and capric acids) and (α-bromocapric and 3-fluorobenzoic acids). The formation of trilaurylammonium carboxylates is responsible for extraction enhancement. Thus, in the case of U(VI), the compounds formed in the organic phase are (HA = capric acid) and (HA = α-bromocapric and 3-fluorobenzoic acids). The antagonisms observed were successfully exploited to resolve certain problems: