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Introduction
Published in G. Vaidyanathan, Dynamic Simulation of Sodium Cooled Fast Reactors, 2023
After recovering U and Pu from spent nuclear fuel of thermal reactors (PWR, BWR, PHWR) by conventional reprocessing, the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes is a major concern in many countries. Most of the radioactive hazard remaining in high-level radioactive wastes after thousands of years comes from minor actinides (MA); isotopes of Np, Am, and Cm, and some long-lived fission products (LLFPs; Se79, Zr93, Tc99, Pd107, I129, and Cs135).
Nuclear and Hydro Power
Published in Anco S. Blazev, Energy Security for The 21st Century, 2021
Note: The minor actinides include neptunium, americium, curium, berkelium, californium, einsteinium, and fermium. The most important isotopes in spent nuclear fuel are neptunium-237, americium-241, americium-243, curium-242 through -248, and californium-249—252.
The Environment Today
Published in Anco S. Blazev, Power Generation and the Environment, 2021
The potentially useful components dealt with in nuclear reprocessing comprise specific actinides (plutonium, uranium, and some minor actinides). The lighter elements components include fission products, activation products, and cladding.
Gamma Radiolysis of Phenyl-Substituted TODGAs: Part II
Published in Solvent Extraction and Ion Exchange, 2023
Christopher A. Zarzana, Jack McAlpine, Andreas Wilden, Michelle Hupert, Andrea Stärk, Mudassir Iqbal, Willem Verboom, Aspen N. Vandevender, Bruce J. Mincher, Gary S. Groenewold, Giuseppe Modolo
Partitioning and transmutation (P&T) schemes are of interest as one way to reduce the total volume of radioactive material that requires deep geologic storage.[7,8] Briefly, P&T schemes aim to extract the bulk uranium, plutonium, and neptunium out of the used nuclear fuel. The raffinate left after this extraction step contains fission products, lanthanides (Ln), and the minor actinides (An) americium (Am) and curium (Cm). As the heat from the radioactive decay of americium is the dominant contribution to waste-form heat load from approximately 200–2000 years after removal from a reactor,[4] one central aim of the concept of P&T is removal of the minor actinides from the remainder of the used fuel.[7] Once removed, the minor actinides can be burned in a fast neutron spectrum reactor, yielding more energy and converting the minor actinides into short-lived fission products.[9,10]
Experimental Analyses of 243Am and 235U Fission Reaction Rates at Kyoto University Critical Assembly
Published in Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2021
Cheol Ho Pyeon, Akito Oizumi, Masahiro Fukushima
Minor actinides (MAs) containing high-level radioactive waste (HLW) generated from light water reactors have very long-life radionuclides that include neptunium (Np), americium (Am), and curium (Cm). Useful technologies relevant to the transmutation of MAs have been developed for reducing the environmental impact on geological sites of HLW disposal. Minor actinide transmutation has been examined mainly in fast neutron spectrum cores, including the fast reactor and the accelerator-driven system (ADS) (Refs. 1,2). Of the two systems, ADS provides a promising solution for the implementation of MA transmutation. Moreover, feasibility studies on HLW disposal have been engaged mainly in numerical simulations for the construction of reprocessing facilities and for predictive assessments for estimating the capacity of geological storage sites and the extent of MA transmutation.
Neutron capture cross sections of curium isotopes measured with ANNRI at J-PARC
Published in Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 2021
Shoichiro Kawase, Atsushi Kimura, Hideo Harada, Nobuyuki Iwamoto, Osamu Iwamoto, Shoji Nakamura, Mariko Segawa, Yosuke Toh
Minor actinides (MA) are generated in nuclear power plants through the reaction chains of neutron captures and alpha/beta decays starting from uranium. Some innovative reactors such as Accelerator-Driven Systems (ADS) and associated fuel cycles are intensively investigated [1,2] to reduce MAs’ long-lasting radiotoxicity in the spent fuels. For this purpose, accurate neutron capture cross section data on MAs are needed. Among MA isotopes, ( [3]) has importance in treating radioactive waste as holds a significant share in the source of decay heat and has a large neutron emission rate in spent fuels. Neutron capture cross section data for ( [3]) is also important because it is being part of production chain. However, accurate measurement of those cross sections has been highly challenging due to their highly specific activities.