Scientists have found a way to recycle Cold War-era isotopes, and it could have a major impact on nuclear science.
According to Interesting Engineering, researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy “launched a new radiochemical separation process at Savannah River National Laboratory to recover rare isotopes from Mark-18A targets produced during the Cold War.”
The new process is an important step for nuclear science, allowing researchers to more efficiently recycle and reuse limited materials previously considered permanent waste.
According to Interesting Engineering, these Cold War-era “legacy materials contain a global supply of unseparated plutonium-244, an extremely rare element necessary for nuclear forensics.” The publication notes that curium is another element that can be recycled and converted into californium-252, which can be used to start nuclear reactors.
Nuclear power is one of many alternatives to burning coal, natural gas and oil, which all produce large amounts of planet-warming gases. Nuclear power uses controlled nuclear reactions, usually the splitting of uranium, to produce energy while causing minimal air pollution. The byproduct of this reaction is a small amount of radioactive waste, which is cooled and stored in concrete and steel drums, eventually buried deep underground.
Still, radioactive materials remain radioactive for thousands of years and can contaminate soil, air and water if leaked or leached. Waste leaks can be a long-term environmental threat, but recycling radioactive materials can reduce this risk.
Recycling radioactive waste is usually a long and expensive process, but as technology advances, it’s becoming cheaper, easier and safer. In addition, better recycling processes can save resources by reducing the need to mine finite resources such as uranium, lower energy consumption, and enhance recycling waste cycles.
Edwin Deshong, office operations manager at the Savannah River facility, believes the process is a step in the right direction, both for nuclear science and the environment.
“The transfer of the first target demonstrates the seamless integration of our environmental cleanup mission while transforming historic waste into a strategic resource for the nation,” Dezon said in an interview with Interesting Engineering.
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