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ANS Student Conference 2025
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Albuquerque, NM|The University of New Mexico
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Latest News
First astatine-labeled compound shipped in the U.S.
The Department of Energy’s National Isotope Development Center (NIDC) on March 31 announced the successful long-distance shipment in the United States of a biologically active compound labeled with the medical radioisotope astatine-211 (At-211). Because previous shipments have included only the “bare” isotope, the NIDC has described the development as “unleashing medical innovation.”
E. Eidelpes, L. F. Ibarra (Univ of Utah), R. A. Medina (Univ of New Hampshire)
Proceedings | 16th International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference (IHLRWM 2017) | Charlotte, NC, April 9-13, 2017 | Pages 195-205
The work presented in this paper is part of investigations on the structural integrity of Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) casks after long-term storage and subjected to normal or accidental conditions of transport. The main challenge of this assessment is to account for the time dependent material degradation mechanisms of the cask components. A Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) is used for the overall assessment of the structural integrity of the relevant package components. SNF rod cladding is likely to control structural failure due to mechanical loads, which can be accelerated by hydride related material degradation of fuel rods after long-term storage. Due to limited available experimental data, statistical methods are used to predict the fuel rod conditions between beginning of storage and moment of transport. The value of the Rod Internal Pressure (RIP) appears to be a driving force for the hydride-induced embrittlement. RIP examination data and recent simulations point towards relatively low Cladding Hoop Stresses (CHSs) in standard rods during drying procedures. An exemplary PRA of the likelihood of cladding embrittlement due to Radial Hydride Reorientation (RHR) is presented. The preliminary model indicates a relatively low probability of cladding embrittlement for standard fuel rods.