Elucidating the exceptional halide ion etching of bimetallic Ag-Cu oxides for efficient adsorption and porous nanostructure formation.

Elucidating the interactions between halide ions and bimetallic oxides can help understand their influences on the physicochemical properties of bimetallic oxides and ultimately lead to better performance, but this has not yet been explored. We report here the first study of the interaction of halide ions with two phase-pure bimetallic Ag-Cu oxides, AgCuO and AgCuO, which have different chemical valences of Ag and Cu atoms. We found that halide ions have an aggressive etching effect on both bimetallic oxides, leading to a dramatic evolution of crystal structures and morphology.

Activation characterization of a novel quinary alloy Ti-Zr-V-Hf-Nb non-evaporable getters by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

The first results on the activation process and mechanisms of novel quinary alloy Ti-Zr-V-Hf-Nb non-evaporable getter (NEG) film coatings with copper substrates were presented. About 1.075 µm of Ti-Zr-V-Hf-Nb NEG film coating was deposited on the copper substrates by using the DC sputtering method.

Revealing the role of oxygen-containing functional groups on graphene oxide for the highly efficient adsorption of thorium ions.

Oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of carbon materials can promote the adsorption capacity of radioactive thorium ions (Th(IV)), but their effect on the adsorption of Th(IV) has not been systematically revealed. Herein, to elucidate the nature of oxygen-containing group-mediated Th(IV) adsorption, a series of graphene oxide nanoflakes (GONFs) with different contents of oxygen-containing groups on the surface were prepared. The experimental results showed that the high adsorption of Th(IV) not only resulted from the oxygen content, but also was related to the type of oxygen-containing functional groups on GONFs.

Ultra-selective ion sieve for thorium recovery from rare earth elements using oxygen-rich microporous carbon adsorption.

The ultra-selective extraction of thorium ions (Th(IV)) from lanthanides is of significance to both solve the radioactive pollution issue in rare earth (RE) production and sustainably provide thorium fuel for the liquid fluoride thorium reactors (LFTR). However, it remains a great challenge. Here, we reported an oxygen-rich microporous carbon for ultra-selective extraction of Th(IV) from rare earth elements (REEs) in a wide pH range.

The Effects of Oxygen Functional Groups on Graphene Oxide on the Efficient Adsorption of Radioactive Iodine.

Oxygen-containing functional groups tend to induce a strong interaction between solid adsorbents and iodine molecules, yet have not been systematically investigated. Herein, on the basis of a series of nitric acid-treated graphene oxide (GO) with different contents of oxygen functional groups for iodine adsorption, it was found that the iodine uptake capacity is proportionate to the oxygen content and the diversities of oxygen-containing groups. The density functional theory (DFT) calculation results also suggest that oxygen-containing groups result in strong interactions between iodine molecules and the adsorbents through a covalent bond-forming process, among which -OH groups possess a higher adsorption energy averagely.

The Removal of Platinum Group Metals, Cs, Se, and Te from Nuclear Waste Glass Using Liquid Sb Extraction and Phase Separation Methods.

Recovery of platinum group metals (PGMs: Pd, Ru, Rh), Cs, Se, and Te from molten borosilicate glass containing simulated high level radwaste through the combination of liquid metal extraction and phase separation method under reductive heat-treatment was studied. In this process, the PGMs were extracted in recovered liquid metal phase, where Sb and Bi metals were used as the collecting metals. Meanwhile, Cs, Se, and Te were enriched in the phase separated potassium-rich materials on glass surface, which were extracted by water.

The Activation of Ti-Zr-V-Hf Non-Evaporable Getter Films with Open-Cell Copper Metal Foam Substrates.

Secondary electron emission (SEE) inhibition and vacuum instability are two important issues in accelerators that may induce multiple effects in accelerators, such as power loss and beam lifetime reduction. In order to mitigate SEE and maintain high vacuum simultaneously, open-cell copper metal foam (OCMF) substrates with Ti-Zr-V-Hf non-evaporable getter (NEG) coatings are first proposed, and the properties of surface morphology, surface chemistry and secondary electron yield (SEY) were analyzed for the first time. According to the experimental results tested at 25 °C, the maximum SEY (δmax) of OCMF before and after Ti-Zr-V-Hf NEG film deposition were 1.

The Effect of Ultrasonic Cleaning on the Secondary Electron Yield, Surface Topography, and Surface Chemistry of Laser Treated Aluminum Alloy.

Laser ablation technique is a novel method for obtaining a surface with a low secondary electron yield (SEY) that can mitigate electron cloud in high-energy accelerators. Before the installation of laser processed aluminum alloy, surface cleaning is of the essence to reduce the contaminations of ultra-high vacuum systems for providing appropriate pressure for beam operation consequently. Laser processed aluminum alloy is one of the crucial candidates for the vacuum system construction of future accelerators.

A nanocrystalline oxygen-deficient bismuth oxide as an efficient adsorbent for effective visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance toward organic pollutant degradation.

In this work, a simple binary oxygen-deficient BiO oxide was prepared, and its crystal structure, optical property, band structure and electronic structure were systematically investigated. Plane-wave-based density functional theory (DFT) calculations were also carried out to determine that BiO is a typical indirect-gap semiconductor with the bandgap of 1.1 eV.

Recovery of palladium, cesium, and selenium from heavy metal alkali borosilicate glass by combination of heat treatment and leaching processes.

Reductive heat-treatment and leaching process were applied to a simulated lead or bismuth soda-potash-borosilicate glass with palladium, cesium, and selenium to separate these elements. In the reductive heat treatment, palladium is extracted in liquid heavy metal phase generated by the reduction of the heavy metal oxides, whereas cesium and selenium are concentrated in phase separated Na-K-rich materials on the glass surface. From the materials, cesium and selenium can be extracted in water, and the selenium extraction was higher in the treatment of the bismuth containing glass.

Phase separation of cesium from lead borosilicate glass by heat treatment under a reducing atmosphere.

A phase-separation technique for removing sodium from glass using a heat-treatment method under a reducing atmosphere was previously developed for sodium recovery from waste glass. In this study, this technique was applied to cesium-containing lead borosilicate glass to concentrate the cesium in phase-separated sodium-rich materials for efficient cesium extraction. The theoretical phase-separation temperature of the sodium-rich phase was simulated by thermodynamic equilibrium calculations and was predicted to occur below 700°C for lead borosilicate glass.