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Tawade NS, Kumar S, Patra S, Tripathi R, Datrik CS, Pujari PK, Thomas RG, Mishra G, Kumar A, De S, Kumawat H. Measurement of fast neutron induced (n,γ) reaction cross-section of 68Zn, 96Zr, 121Sb and 123Sb in the energy range of 1 to 2 MeV. Appl Radiat Isot 2024; 214:111535. [PMID: 39357256 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2024.111535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 09/13/2024] [Accepted: 09/26/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
The (n,γ) reaction cross-section for the elements 68Zn, 96Zr, 121Sb and 123Sb, present in the reactor structural/shielding materials, was measured by neutron activation technique in the neutron energy region of 1-2 MeV as very limited data is available in this energy range. Further, the neutron spectrum peaks in this energy region for the fast breeder reactors and proposed accelerator driven sub-critical systems. The natural strontium (natSr) element was used as a neutron flux monitor by considering effective combined reaction cross-section for 86Sr(n,γ)87Srm and 87Sr(n,n')87Srm reactions. The pellets of mixture of sample and monitor were irradiated by a quasi-mono energetic fast neutron beam, generated by 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction at FOTIA, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India. The activity of activation products was measured by off-line gamma-ray spectrometry using High Purity Germanium Detector (HPGe). The present data with improved uncertainty and covariance analysis enhance the cross-section data base for better constraining the evaluated data and theoretical models. The theoretical (n,γ) reaction cross-sections were calculated using TALYS 1.96, which could reasonably explain the present data with the Fermi gas level density prescription.
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Affiliation(s)
- N S Tawade
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400094, India; Radiochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, India.
| | - S Kumar
- Radiochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - S Patra
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400094, India; Radiochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - R Tripathi
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400094, India; Radiochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - C S Datrik
- Product Development Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - P K Pujari
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400094, India; Radiochemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - R G Thomas
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400094, India; Nuclear Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - G Mishra
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400094, India; Nuclear Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - A Kumar
- Nuclear Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - S De
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400094, India; Nuclear Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - H Kumawat
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400094, India; Nuclear Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, India
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Sun XY, Han LH, Li XX, Hu BL, Luo W, Liu L. Transmutation of MAs and LLFPs with a lead-cooled fast reactor. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1693. [PMID: 36717698 PMCID: PMC9886923 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29002-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The management of nuclear wastes has long been a problem that hinders the sustainable and clean utilization of nuclear energy since the advent of nuclear power. These nuclear wastes include minor actinides (MAs: 237Np, 241Am, 243Am, 244Cm and 245Cm) and long-lived fission products (LLFPs: 79Se, 93Zr, 99Tc, 107Pd, 129I and 135Cs), and yet are hard to be handled. In this work, we propose a scheme that can transmute almost all the MAs and LLFPs with a lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR). In this scheme, the MAs and the LLFPs are loaded to the fuel assembly and the blanket assembly for transmutation, respectively. In order to study the effect of MAs loading on the operation of the core, the neutron flux distribution, spectra, and the keff are further compared with and without MAs loading. Then the LLFPs composition is optimized and the support ratio is obtained to be 1.22 for 237Np, 1.63 for 241Am, 1.27 for 243Am, 1.32 for 79Se, 1.53 for 99Tc, 1.02 for 107Pd, and 1.12 for 129I, respectively, indicating that a self-sustained transmutation can be achieved. Accordingly, the transmutation rate of these nuclides was 13.07%/y for 237Np, 15.18%/y for 241Am, 13.34%/y for 243Am, 0.58%/y for 79Se, 0.92%/y for 99Tc, 1.17%/y for 107Pd, 0.56%/y for 129I. Our results show that a lead-cooled fast reactor can be potentially used to manage nuclear wastes with high levels of long-lived radioactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- X. Y. Sun
- grid.412017.10000 0001 0266 8918School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001 China
| | - L. H. Han
- grid.412017.10000 0001 0266 8918School of Mechanical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, 421000 China
| | - X. X. Li
- grid.412017.10000 0001 0266 8918School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001 China
| | - B. L. Hu
- grid.412017.10000 0001 0266 8918School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001 China
| | - W. Luo
- grid.412017.10000 0001 0266 8918School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001 China
| | - L. Liu
- grid.412017.10000 0001 0266 8918School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001 China ,grid.412017.10000 0001 0266 8918School of Mechanical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, 421000 China
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