Nuclear manufacture

FIGURE 17.30 This 35-year-old drum of radioactive waste has corroded and leaked radioactive materials into the soil. The drum was located in one of the nuclear waste disposal sites at the U.S. Department of Energy s Hanford, Washington, nuclear manufacturing and research facility. Several storage sites at this facility have become seriously contaminated. 

Repeatability. This refers to two aspects of inspection similarity between objects that are inspected and possibility of maintaining constant inspection conditions (settings) for all the inspections performed. Obviously, interpretation of data in repeatable conditions is significantly simplified. Usually, inspection during or after manufacturing process will be repeatable. Another example of repeatable inspection is inspection of heat exchangers in power nuclear plants, inspection of aircrafts as these are well standardised. However, a large part of the NDT inspection done is not repeatable. 

The development and improvement of scientific-technical level of NDT and TD means for safety issues is connected with the necessity to find additional investments that must be taken into account at the stage of new technogenic objects designing, when solving new arising problems in social, economic, ecological and medical safety. It is not accidental, that the expenses for safe nuclear power plants operation cover 50% of total sum for construction work capital investments. That is why the investments for NDT and TD have to cover 10% of total amount for development and manufacturing of any product. 

Plutonium (Pu) is an artificial element of atomic number 94 that has its main radioactive isotopes at 2 °Pu and Pu. The major sources of this element arise from the manufacture and detonation of nuclear weapons and from nuclear reactors. The fallout from detonations and discharges of nuclear waste are the major sources of plutonium contamination of the environment, where it is trapped in soils and plant or animal life. Since the contamination levels are generally very low, a sensitive technique is needed to estimate its concentration. However, not only the total amount can be estimated. Measurement of the isotope ratio provides information about its likely... 

Lead sesquioxide is used as an oxidation catalyst for carbon monoxide ia exhaust gases (44,45) (see Exhaust control), as a catalyst for the preparation of lactams (46) (see Antibiotics, P-lactams), ia the manufacture of high purity diamonds (47) (see Carbon, diamond-natural), ia fireproofing compositions for poly(ethylene terephthalate) plastics (48), ia radiation detectors for x-rays and nuclear particles (49), and ia vulcanization accelerators for neoprene mbber (50). 

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. In 1994 there were three principal vendors of nmr instmmentation in the U.S., Bmker Instmments (Billerica, Mass.), JEOL USA, Inc. (Peabody, Mass.), and Varian Associates (Palo Alto, Calif.). Details of instmmentation are best obtained directly from manufacturers. A schematic illustrating the principal components of a ft/nmr spectrometer is shown in Eigure 3. 

Fig. 4. Diagram of the two-step process to manufacture nucleation track membranes, (a) Polycarbonate film is exposed to charged particles in a nuclear reactor, (b) Tracks left by particles are preferentially etched into uniform cylindrical pores (8).

Chemical-Process Vessels. Explosion-bonded products are used in the manufacture of process equipment for the chemical, petrochemical, and petroleum industries where the corrosion resistance of an expensive metal is combined with the strength and economy of another metal. AppHcations include explosion cladding of titanium tubesheet to Monel, hot fabrication of an explosion clad to form an elbow for pipes in nuclear power plants, and explosion cladding titanium and steel for use in a vessel intended for terephthaHc acid manufacture. 

The recycle weapons fuel cycle rehes on the reservoir of SWUs and yellow cake equivalents represented by the fissile materials in decommissioned nuclear weapons. This variation impacts the prereactor portion of the fuel cycle. The post-reactor portion can be either classical or throwaway. Because the avadabihty of weapons-grade fissile material for use as an energy source is a relatively recent phenomenon, it has not been fully implemented. As of early 1995 the United States had purchased highly enriched uranium from Russia, and France had initiated a modification and expansion of the breeder program to use plutonium as the primary fuel (3). AH U.S. reactor manufacturers were working on designs to use weapons-grade plutonium as fuel. 

Radiopharmaceuticals may be sold either direcdy or through nuclear pharmacies. These entities, some of which are owned by manufacturers, provide radiopharmaceuticals in unit dose form. In the United States, both MaUinckrodt and Amersham own nuclear pharmacies in many cities. In addition the market is also served by Syncor, an independent nuclear pharmacy that has a nonexclusive strategic aUiance with Du Pont Pharma. 

The total U.S. market for radiopharmaceuticals in 1993 was 406 million. Radiopharmaceuticals sold direcdy to U.S. hospital nuclear medicine departments accounted for approximately 25% of the total sales, or about 98 million. Another 308 million were sold via nuclear pharmacies. Of direct sales among the primary U.S. manufacturers, one had approximately 49% of the market, another approximately 34%, and the third about 9%. 

The NRC also imposes special security requirements for spent fuel shipments and transport of highly enriched uranium or plutonium materials that can be used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. These security measures include route evaluation, escort personnel and vehicles, communications capabiHties, and emergency plans. State governments are notified in advance of any planned shipment within their state of spent fuel, or any other radioactive materials requiring shipment in accident-proof. Type B containers. 

Sodium, generally about 99.9% Na assay, is available in two grades regular, which contains 0.040 wt % Ca, and nuclear (low Ca), which has 0.001 wt % Ca. Both have 0.005 wt % Cl . The nuclear grade is packed in specially cleaned containers, and in some cases under special cover atmospheres. A special grade of sodium low in potassium and calcium (<10 ppm) is achievable to meet requirements for use in manufacture of the more newly developed sodium—sulfur batteries. 

Approximately 5% of the U.S. consumption of is in agriculture. Boron is a necessary trace nutrient for plants and is added in small quantities to a number of fertilizers. Borates are also used in crop sprays for fast rehef of boron deficiency. Borates, when apphed at relatively high concentration, act as nonselective herbicides. Small quantities of borates are used in the manufacture of alloys and refractories (qv). Molten borates readily dissolve other metal oxides usage as a flux in metallurgy is an important apphcation. Other important small volume apphcations for borates are in fire retardants for both plastics and ceUulosic materials, in hydrocarbon fuels for fungus control, and in automotive antifreeze for corrosion control (see Corrosion and corrosion inhibitors). Borates are used as neutron absorbers in nuclear reactors. Several borates, which are registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can be used for insecticidal purposes, eg, TIM-BOR. 

Cadmium Fluoride. Elemental fluorine reacts with cadmium metal as well as the oxide, sulfide, and chloride to give CdF2 [7790-79-6]. Alternatively, treatment of CdCO with 40% HF yields a solution of CdF2, which may be evaporated to recover efflorescent crystals of the dihydrate. CdF2 has been used in phosphors, glass manufacture, nuclear reactor controls, and electric bmshes and in 1991 sold as a pure electronic grade (99.99%) at l/g. 

---