Search results for "Radioactive waste"
showing 10 items of 34 documents
The measurement programme at the neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF at CERN
2016
Neutron-induced reaction cross sections are important for a wide variety of research fields ranging from the study of nuclear level densities, nucleosynthesis to applications of nuclear technology like design, and criticality and safety assessment of existing and future nuclear reactors, radiation dosimetry, medical applications, nuclear waste transmutation, accelerator-driven systems and fuel cycle investigations. Simulations and calculations of nuclear technology applications largely rely on evaluated nuclear data libraries. The evaluations in these libraries are based both on experimental data and theoretical models. CERN’s neutron time-of-flight facility n TOF has produced a considerabl…
Neutron cross section measurements at n_TOF for ADS related estudies
2005
A neutron Time-of-Flight facility (n_TOF) is available at CERN since 2001. The innovative features of the neutron beam, in particular the high instantaneous flux, the wide energy range, the high resolution and the low background, make this facility unique for measurements of neutron induced reactions relevant to the field of Emerging Nuclear Technologies, as well as to Nuclear Astrophysics and Fundamental Nuclear Physics. The scientific motivations that have led to the construction of this new facility are here presented. The main characteristics of the n_TOF neutron beam are described, together with the features of the experimental apparata used for cross-section measurements. The main res…
A multi-technique characterisation of cronstedtite synthetized by iron-clay interaction in a step by step cooling procedure
2013
International audience; The cooling of steel containers in radioactive-waste storage was simulated in a step-by-step experiment from 90 to 40 degrees C. Among newly formed clay minerals observed in run products, cronstedtite was identified by a number of analytical techniques (powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy). Cronstedtite has not previously been recognized to be so abundant and so well crystallized in an iron-clay interaction experiment. The supersaturation of experimental solutions with respect to cronstedtite was due to the availability of Fe and Si in solution, as a result of the dissolution of iron metal powder, quartz, and m…
Multi-scale characterization of porosity in Boom Clay (HADES-level, Mol, Belgium) using a combination of X-ray μ-CT, 2D BIB-SEM and FIB-SEM tomography
2015
Abstract The Oligocene age Boom Clay is a potential host material for radioactive waste disposal in Belgium. To better understand the physical basis of transport mechanisms of radionuclides, we aim to characterize the pore space and its connectivity at nm-scale in 3D. In the present study, X-ray μ-CT and FIB-SEM (focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy) tomography were combined, to investigate the 3D pore space of a Boom Clay sample from the Mol-1 borehole (depth corresponding to the level of the HADES-URF – ‘high activity disposal experimental site underground research facility’) at the Mol–Dessel research site for radioactive waste disposal (Belgium). BIB-SEM (broad ion beam scannin…
Short and medium effects on the environment of Valencia, Spain, of the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident.
1991
As a consequence of the 26 April 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant, a large amount of radioactivity was released into the atmosphere. The radioactive plume formed could be detected in practically the whole of the Northern Hemisphere a few days later. The zone most affected by the radioactive cloud over Spain was that of the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands. In this paper, the authors examine the level of the radioactive contamination reached in various receptive media in Valencia, such as air, dry-fallout, water, soil, grass and milk samples collected in Valencia immediately after the accident. The activity levels are compared with those found during 1964 and 1965 due…
Geochemical Interactions of Plutonium with Opalinus Clay Studied by Spatially Resolved Synchrotron Radiation Techniques
2017
Plutonium plays an important role within nuclear waste materials because of its long half-life and high radiotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate with high spatial resolution the reactivity of the more oxidized forms of Pu(V,VI) within Opalinus Clay (OPA) rock, a heterogeneous, natural argillaceous rock considered as a potential repository host. A combination of synchrotron based X-ray microprobe and bulk techniques was used to study the spatial distribution and molecular speciation of Pu within OPA after diffusion and sorption processes. Microscopic chemical images revealed a pronounced impact of geochemical heterogeneities concerning the reactivity of the natural barrier mat…
Water retention behaviour and microstructural evolution of MX-80 bentonite during wetting and drying cycles
2014
MX-80 bentonite used in engineered barrier systems would be subjected to wetting and drying cycles. To assess the response of the material under such circumstances, a comprehensive experimental characterisation of the water retention behaviour of compacted MX-80 granular bentonite was performed in this study. A new methodology is proposed to investigate this behaviour under a constant volume condition for specimens prepared at different dry densities. The material was subjected to different hydraulic paths, including cyclic variations of the water content. As a result, an irreversible modification of the retention behaviour was observed when the material approached a fully saturated state …
The utmost ends of the nuclear fuel cycle: Finnish perceptions of the risks of uranium mining and nuclear waste management
2013
There has been substantial social scientific research to determine how people perceive the risks of nuclear power, wastes, and waste management, but not much attention has been given to risk perceptions of other types of nuclear activities. Knowledge about attitudes towards uranium mining and exploitation is increasing, and more attention should be paid to how people perceive the risks of both ends of the nuclear fuel cycle. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to analyze the risk perceptions towards nuclear waste and uranium mining and how these perceptions relate to each other. The analysis is based on Finnish survey data (N = 1180) gathered in 2007. Renewed international interest in nucle…
Nuclear Data for the Thorium Fuel Cycle and the Transmutation of Nuclear Waste
2016
Neutron-induced reaction cross sections play an important role in a wide variety of research fields, ranging from stellar nucleosynthesis, the investigation of nuclear level density studies, to applications of nuclear technology, including the transmutation of nuclear waste, accelerator-driven systems, and nuclear fuel cycle investigations. Simulations of nuclear technology applications largely rely on evaluated nuclear data libraries. These libraries are based both on experimental data and theoretical models. An outline of experimental nuclear data activities at CERN’s neutron time-of-flight facility, n_TOF, will be presented.
Toward large-area targets for “TRAKULA”
2011
Abstract TRAKULA ( Tra nsmutationsrelevante k ernphysikalische U ntersuchungen l anglebiger A ktinide, i.e., nuclear physical investigations of long-lived actinides with relevance to transmutation) is a joint research project of the German Federal Ministry of Science and Education (BMBF) on nuclear physics investigations with modern scientific, technological and numerical methods. Experiments concerning the transmutation of radioactive waste are a central topic of the project. For this, large-area samples (≥40 cm 2 ) of 235,238 U and 239,242 Pu compounds are required for the calibration of fission chambers and for fission yield measurements. Another topic within the project requires large-a…