Comprehensive oxidative process for the removal of antimony from the surfaces of nuclear reactor coolant systems.

An oxidative process using hydrogen peroxide for the dissolution of metallic antimony, stripping of the dissolved antimony ions, and the compatibility of the oxidative process with the structural materials present in the coolant systems of nuclear reactors have been investigated. This process has direct application for the removal of antimony activity and thereby reducing the radiation exposure hazard to the operating personnel. The rate of dissolution of metallic antimony increased in the presence of hydrogen peroxide.

Dye sensitized solar cells using catalytically active CuO-ZnO nanocomposite synthesized by single step method.

In the present paper we report a low cost, single step preparation method for the synthesis of CuO-ZnO nanocomposite through simple co-precipitation technique using oxalic acid. To have a better idea about the deviations brought about by the inclusion of CuO in ZnO lattice, pure ZnO nanoparticles synthesized from 0.1M solutions were also investigated.

Removal of gadolinium, a neutron poison from the moderator system of nuclear reactors.

Gadolinium as gadolinium nitrate is used as neutron poison in the moderator system for regulating and controlling the power generation of Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) and proposed to be used in Advanced Heavy Water Reactors (AHWR) owing to its high neutron absorption cross section. Removal of the added gadolinium nitrate (Gd and NO) from the system after its intended use is done using ion exchange resins. In the present investigation, attempts have been made to optimize the ion exchange process for generation of low radioactive waste and maximize utilization of the ion exchange resins by employing different types of resins and different modes of operation.

Dissolution of synthetic uranium dibutyl phosphate deposits in oxidizing and reducing chemical formulations.

Permanganate and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) based dilute chemical formulations were evaluated for the dissolution of uranium dibutyl phosphate (U-DBP), a compound that deposits over the surfaces of nuclear reprocessing plants and waste storage tanks. A combination of an acidic, oxidizing treatment (nitric acid with permanganate) followed by reducing treatment (NTA based formulation) efficiently dissolved the U-DBP deposits. The dissolution isotherm of U-DBP in its as precipitated form followed a logarithmic fit.