Gadolinium alloys

Scientists develop a nickel-gadolinium alloy that absorbs radioactive neutrons emitted by nuclear waste. Applications include transport and storage of highly radioactive fuel. 

Stn ATOMIC PERCENT GADOLINIUM Gd mixing for samarium-gadolinium alloys at 900°C. 

The metal has unusual superconductive properties. As little as 1 percent gadolinium improves the workability and resistance of iron, chromium, and related alloys to high temperatures and oxidation. 

Gadoliniums main use is based on its ability to absorb neutrons, thus making it ideal as a neutron-shielding and neutron-absorbing metal. It is also used as an alloying agent for steel and other metals to make the metals more workable and to be able to withstand low temperatures. 

Important is the use of light rare earth elonents for production of hard magnetic materials. Most prominent are alloys of samarium with cobalt in the atomic ratio 1 5 or 2 17. It may also be assumed that in further development of these materials on a larger scale that praseodymium, neodymium, lanthanum and also individual heavy rare ecu h elements will be used to achieve particular effects. Interesting is the development of magnetic bubble memories based on gadolinium-galliiimrgarnets. 

The magnetic storage media being employed are ternary amorphous alloys lTable 6) composed of the rare-earth elements gadolinium. Gd. and terbium. Tb. with Fe and Co lor use in the near infrared. These materials are compatible with GaAs-bascd lasers. These alloy s arc fcnimagiictic. 

Gadolinium 64 Gd Electronic materials, high-temperature refractories, alloys, cryogenic refrigerant, thermal neutron absorber, superconductor, magnetic materials, bubble memory substrates... 

A technique has been developed for data storage based on the magnetic behaviour of thin magnetizable Ln-alloy films. The fact that gadolinium has a curie point at room temperature and can be driven above this point by local heating is used. 

FP-3 (yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, gadolinium, terbium)—are soluble ( 15 wt %) in the process alloy and are removed by selective extraction into the salt after the reduction. This is a salt-transport step and is used as the method of controlling the FP-3 concentration in the process stream and of consolidating the FP-3 for waste handling. 

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