Engineers Garage

  • Electronic Projects & Tutorials
    • Electronic Projects
      • Arduino Projects
      • AVR
      • Raspberry pi
      • ESP8266
      • BeagleBone
      • 8051 Microcontroller
      • ARM
      • PIC Microcontroller
      • STM32
    • Tutorials
      • Audio Electronics
      • Battery Management
      • Brainwave
      • Electric Vehicles
      • EMI/EMC/RFI
      • Hardware Filters
      • IoT tutorials
      • Power Tutorials
      • Python
      • Sensors
      • USB
      • VHDL
    • Circuit Design
    • Project Videos
    • Components
  • Articles
    • Tech Articles
    • Insight
    • Invention Stories
    • How to
    • What Is
  • News
    • Electronic Product News
    • Business News
    • Company/Start-up News
    • DIY Reviews
    • Guest Post
  • Forums
    • EDABoard.com
    • Electro-Tech-Online
    • EG Forum Archive
  • DigiKey Store
    • Cables, Wires
    • Connectors, Interconnect
    • Discrete
    • Electromechanical
    • Embedded Computers
    • Enclosures, Hardware, Office
    • Integrated Circuits (ICs)
    • Isolators
    • LED/Optoelectronics
    • Passive
    • Power, Circuit Protection
    • Programmers
    • RF, Wireless
    • Semiconductors
    • Sensors, Transducers
    • Test Products
    • Tools
  • Learn
    • eBooks/Tech Tips
    • Design Guides
    • Learning Center
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Webinars & Digital Events
  • Resources
    • Digital Issues
    • EE Training Days
    • LEAP Awards
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • White Papers
    • Engineering Diversity & Inclusion
    • DesignFast
  • Guest Post Guidelines
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Scientists Identify Novel Clues for Nuclear Waste Clean-up

By Parul Gupta February 27, 2017

A Washington State University research of the chemistry of technetium-99 has enhanced comprehension of the challenging nuclear waste and could result in better clean-up techniques.

The work is recently reported and was headed by John McCloy, an associate lecturer in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and chemistry graduate student Jamie Weaver. Scientists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the Office of River Protection and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory association also joined the study.

Technetium-99 is a byproduct of plutonium weapons production and is considered a major U.S. challenge for environmental clean-up. At the Hanford Site nuclear intricate in Washington state, there are around 2,000 pounds of the element dispersed within around 56 million gallons of nuclear waste in 177 storage tanks.

The U.S. Department of Energy is in the process of building a waste treatment plant at Hanford to immobilize hazardous nuclear waste in glass. But scientists have been stymied as not all the technetium-99 is included into the glass and volatilized gas must be recycled back into the melter system. The element can be highly soluble in water and moves conveniently through the environment when in specific forms, so it is considered a major environmental hazard.

new clues for nuclear waste cleanup

As technetium compounds are challenging to work with, prior research has employed less volatile substitutes to try to comprehend the substance’s behaviour. Some of the compounds themselves have not been studied for 50 years, says McCloy. “The logistics are highly challenging,” he says. The WSU work was performed in PNNL’s exceedingly specialized Radiochemical Processing Laboratory and the radiological annex of its Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory.

The scientists conducted fundamental chemistry results in better comprehension technetium-99 and its special challenges for storage. They determined that the sodium forms of the element behave much distinctly than other alkalis, which possibly is related to its volatility and to why it may be so reactive with water.

“The structure and spectral signatures of such compounds will support in refining the understanding of technetium incorporation into nuclear waste glasses,” says McCloy. The scientists also expect the work will contribute to the study of other poorly understood chemical compounds


Filed Under: News
Tagged With: Research
 

Next Article

← Previous Article
Next Article →

Questions related to this article?
👉Ask and discuss on Electro-Tech-Online.com and EDAboard.com forums.



Tell Us What You Think!! Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

EE TECH TOOLBOX

“ee
Tech Toolbox: 5G Technology
This Tech Toolbox covers the basics of 5G technology plus a story about how engineers designed and built a prototype DSL router mostly from old cellphone parts. Download this first 5G/wired/wireless communications Tech Toolbox to learn more!

EE Learning Center

EE Learning Center
“engineers
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for EE professionals.

HAVE A QUESTION?

Have a technical question about an article or other engineering questions? Check out our engineering forums EDABoard.com and Electro-Tech-Online.com where you can get those questions asked and answered by your peers!


RSS EDABOARD.com Discussions

  • CMOS ring oscillator
  • Self-powered Current Transducer Buyer's Guide
  • Question on options of set_clock_group
  • Egs002
  • BA4116 reference resistance

RSS Electro-Tech-Online.com Discussions

  • Fixing board, Easy question HEX SCHMITT
  • Can I make two inputs from one??
  • Display TFT ST7789 (OshonSoft Basic).
  • Home Smoke detectors are all Beeping Batteries are not dead.???
  • The Analog Gods Hate Me

Featured – LoRa/LoRaWan Series

  • What is the LoRaWAN network and how does it work?
  • Understanding LoRa architecture: nodes, gateways, and servers
  • Revolutionizing RF: LoRa applications and advantages
  • How to build a LoRa gateway using Raspberry Pi
  • How LoRa enables long-range communication
  • How communication works between two LoRa end-node devices

Recent Articles

  • How to monitor temperature and humidity on a TFT display with graphics
  • Tria modules integrate edge AI processing with multi-core processors
  • pSemi introduces RF switch with 52 dBm PMAX,PEAK and 90-dBm IIP3 linearity
  • XP Power launches 1.3 kW power supply with 58.9 W/cm³ density
  • How to enable Wi-Fi provisioning in ESP32-based IoT products

EE ENGINEERING TRAINING DAYS

engineering

Submit a Guest Post

submit a guest post
Engineers Garage
  • Analog IC TIps
  • Connector Tips
  • Battery Power Tips
  • DesignFast
  • EDABoard Forums
  • EE World Online
  • Electro-Tech-Online Forums
  • EV Engineering
  • Microcontroller Tips
  • Power Electronic Tips
  • Sensor Tips
  • Test and Measurement Tips
  • 5G Technology World
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy

Search Engineers Garage

  • Electronic Projects & Tutorials
    • Electronic Projects
      • Arduino Projects
      • AVR
      • Raspberry pi
      • ESP8266
      • BeagleBone
      • 8051 Microcontroller
      • ARM
      • PIC Microcontroller
      • STM32
    • Tutorials
      • Audio Electronics
      • Battery Management
      • Brainwave
      • Electric Vehicles
      • EMI/EMC/RFI
      • Hardware Filters
      • IoT tutorials
      • Power Tutorials
      • Python
      • Sensors
      • USB
      • VHDL
    • Circuit Design
    • Project Videos
    • Components
  • Articles
    • Tech Articles
    • Insight
    • Invention Stories
    • How to
    • What Is
  • News
    • Electronic Product News
    • Business News
    • Company/Start-up News
    • DIY Reviews
    • Guest Post
  • Forums
    • EDABoard.com
    • Electro-Tech-Online
    • EG Forum Archive
  • DigiKey Store
    • Cables, Wires
    • Connectors, Interconnect
    • Discrete
    • Electromechanical
    • Embedded Computers
    • Enclosures, Hardware, Office
    • Integrated Circuits (ICs)
    • Isolators
    • LED/Optoelectronics
    • Passive
    • Power, Circuit Protection
    • Programmers
    • RF, Wireless
    • Semiconductors
    • Sensors, Transducers
    • Test Products
    • Tools
  • Learn
    • eBooks/Tech Tips
    • Design Guides
    • Learning Center
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Webinars & Digital Events
  • Resources
    • Digital Issues
    • EE Training Days
    • LEAP Awards
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • White Papers
    • Engineering Diversity & Inclusion
    • DesignFast
  • Guest Post Guidelines
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe