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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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Inkjet droplets of radioactive material enable quick, precise testing at NIST
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have developed a technique called cryogenic decay energy spectrometry capable of detecting single radioactive decay events from tiny material samples and simultaneously identifying the atoms involved. In time, the technology could replace characterization tasks that have taken months and could support rapid, accurate radiopharmaceutical development and used nuclear fuel recycling, according to an article published on July 8 by NIST.
Kostadin A. Dinov, Kazuo Kasahara
Nuclear Technology | Volume 115 | Number 1 | July 1996 | Pages 81-90
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT96-A35277
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A theoretical approach is discussed that regards the kinetically determined pressurized water reactor (PWR) primary system as a set of thermodynamically defined metastable states that the related high-temperature aqueous system containing a combination of possible oxide phases (NixFe3−xO4, Fe3O4, and metallic nickel or NiO) and corresponding dissolution products may undergo under specified initial conditions. The study shows that stability zones of those metastable states, particularly M1 (NixFe3−xO4) and M3 [Ni(m) + NixFe3−xO4], cover practically the entire PWR operational range and depend on specific plant conditions and applied chemistry control. The thermodynamic analysis is predicated on the belief that defining the stability transition boundary between those states — found as a function of temperature, coolant pH, dissolved hydrogen (DH), and ferrite stoichiometry (x value) — is of primary importance for corrosion product behavior. Such a stability change influences both the particulate and ionic levels and the related activity transport and should be regarded as an important factor in optimizing PWR primary chemistry. The study offers an original approach to reassessing such important issues as thermodynamic data and the solubility of spinel oxides, the role of transport of particulates and soluble species, “optimum” pH and DH, and the chemistry effect on crud burst.
