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Spent nuclear fuel, the Glossary

Spent nuclear fuel, occasionally called used nuclear fuel, is nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in a nuclear reactor (usually at a nuclear power plant).^[1]

118 relations: Actinide, Activation product, Algae, Alloy, Americium, Americium-241, Anode, Antimony, Barium, Beta decay, Bioaccumulation, Bioremediation, Biosorption, Bromine, Bubble (physics), Cadmium, Caesium, Caesium-137, Cerium, Closterium, Commonly used gamma-emitting isotopes, Corrosion, Curium, Decay chain, Deep geological repository, Dry cask storage, Electrochemistry, Enriched uranium, Europium, Fuel, Galvanic anode, Half-life, High-level waste, Hypoxia (environmental), Indium, Iodine, Iodine-129, Irradiation, Isotopic signature, KBS-3, Krypton, Lanthanide, Lanthanum, Magnox (alloy), Metal, Minor actinide, Molybdenum, Morris Operation, MOX fuel, Nanoparticle, ... Expand index (68 more) »
Nuclear fuels
Nuclear reprocessing

Actinide

The actinide or actinoid series encompasses at least the 14 metallic chemical elements in the 5f series, with atomic numbers from 89 to 102, actinium through nobelium.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Actinide

Activation product

An activation product is a material that has been made radioactive by the process of neutron activation.

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Algae

Algae (alga) are any of a large and diverse group of photosynthetic, eukaryotic organisms.

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An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which in most cases at least one is a metallic element, although it is also sometimes used for mixtures of elements; herein only metallic alloys are described.

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Americium

Americium is a synthetic chemical element; it has symbol Am and atomic number 95.

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Americium-241

Americium-241 (Am-241) is an isotope of americium.

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Anode

An anode is an electrode of a polarized electrical device through which conventional current enters the device.

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Antimony

Antimony is a chemical element; it has symbol Sb and atomic number 51.

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Barium

Barium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ba and atomic number 56.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Barium

Beta decay

In nuclear physics, beta decay (β-decay) is a type of radioactive decay in which an atomic nucleus emits a beta particle (fast energetic electron or positron), transforming into an isobar of that nuclide.

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Bioaccumulation

Bioaccumulation is the gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism.

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Bioremediation broadly refers to any process wherein a biological system (typically bacteria, microalgae, fungi in mycoremediation, and plants in phytoremediation), living or dead, is employed for removing environmental pollutants from air, water, soil, flue gasses, industrial effluents etc., in natural or artificial settings. Spent nuclear fuel and Bioremediation are radioactive waste.

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Biosorption

Biosorption is a physiochemical process that occurs naturally in certain biomass which allows it to passively concentrate and bind contaminants onto its cellular structure.

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Bromine

Bromine is a chemical element; it has symbol Br and atomic number 35.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Bromine

Bubble (physics)

A bubble is a globule of a gas substance in a liquid.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Bubble (physics)

Cadmium

Cadmium is a chemical element; it has symbol Cd and atomic number 48.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Cadmium

Caesium

Caesium (IUPAC spelling; cesium in American English) is a chemical element; it has symbol Cs and atomic number 55.

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Caesium-137

Caesium-137, cesium-137 (US), or radiocaesium, is a radioactive isotope of caesium that is formed as one of the more common fission products by the nuclear fission of uranium-235 and other fissionable isotopes in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons.

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Cerium

Cerium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ce and atomic number 58.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Cerium

Closterium

Closterium is a genus of desmid, a group of charophyte green algae.

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Commonly used gamma-emitting isotopes

Radionuclides which emit gamma radiation are valuable in a range of different industrial, scientific and medical technologies.

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Corrosion

Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide.

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Curium

Curium is a synthetic chemical element; it has symbol Cm and atomic number 96.

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Decay chain

In nuclear science, the decay chain refers to a series of radioactive decays of different radioactive decay products as a sequential series of transformations.

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Deep geological repository

A deep geological repository is a way of storing hazardous or radioactive waste within a stable geologic environment, typically 200–1,000 m below the surface of the earth. Spent nuclear fuel and deep geological repository are radioactive waste.

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Dry cask storage

Dry cask storage is a method of storing high-level radioactive waste, such as spent nuclear fuel that has already been cooled in a spent fuel pool for at least one year and often as much as ten years. Spent nuclear fuel and Dry cask storage are radioactive waste.

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Electrochemistry

Electrochemistry is the branch of physical chemistry concerned with the relationship between electrical potential difference and identifiable chemical change.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Electrochemistry

Enriched uranium

Enriched uranium is a type of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 (written 235U) has been increased through the process of isotope separation. Spent nuclear fuel and Enriched uranium are nuclear fuels.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Enriched uranium

Europium

Europium is a chemical element; it has symbol Eu and atomic number 63.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Europium

Fuel

A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work.

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Galvanic anode

A galvanic anode, or sacrificial anode, is the main component of a galvanic cathodic protection system used to protect buried or submerged metal structures from corrosion.

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Half-life

Half-life (symbol) is the time required for a quantity (of substance) to reduce to half of its initial value.

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High-level waste

High-level waste (HLW) is a type of nuclear waste created by the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. Spent nuclear fuel and High-level waste are radioactive waste.

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Hypoxia (environmental)

Hypoxia (hypo: "below", oxia: "oxygenated") refers to low oxygen conditions.

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Indium

Indium is a chemical element; it has symbol In and atomic number 49.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Indium

Iodine

Iodine is a chemical element; it has symbol I and atomic number 53.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Iodine

Iodine-129

Iodine-129 (129I) is a long-lived radioisotope of iodine that occurs naturally but is also of special interest in the monitoring and effects of man-made nuclear fission products, where it serves as both a tracer and a potential radiological contaminant.

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Irradiation

Irradiation is the process by which an object is exposed to radiation.

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Isotopic signature

An isotopic signature (also isotopic fingerprint) is a ratio of non-radiogenic 'stable isotopes', stable radiogenic isotopes, or unstable radioactive isotopes of particular elements in an investigated material.

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KBS-3

KBS-3 (an abbreviation of kärnbränslesäkerhet, nuclear fuel safety) is a technology for disposal of high-level radioactive waste developed in Sweden by Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB (SKB) by appointment from Statens Strålskyddsinstitut (the government's radiation protection agency).

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Krypton

Krypton (from translit 'the hidden one') is a chemical element; it has symbol Kr and atomic number 36.

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Lanthanide

The lanthanide or lanthanoid series of chemical elements comprises at least the 14 metallic chemical elements with atomic numbers 57–70, from lanthanum through ytterbium.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Lanthanide

Lanthanum

Lanthanum is a chemical element; it has symbol La and atomic number 57.

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Magnox (alloy)

Magnox is an alloy—mainly of magnesium with small amounts of aluminium and other metals—used in cladding unenriched uranium metal fuel with a non-oxidising covering to contain fission products in nuclear reactors.

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A metal is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well.

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Minor actinide

A minor actinide is an actinide, other than uranium or plutonium, found in spent nuclear fuel.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Minor actinide

Molybdenum

Molybdenum is a chemical element; it has symbol Mo (from Neo-Latin molybdaenum) and atomic number 42.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Molybdenum

Morris Operation

The Morris Operation in Grundy County, Illinois, United States, is the location of the only permanent (the rest are temporary) de facto high-level radioactive waste storage site in the United States and holds 772 tons of spent nuclear fuel.

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MOX fuel

Mixed oxide fuel, commonly referred to as MOX fuel, is nuclear fuel that contains more than one oxide of fissile material, usually consisting of plutonium blended with natural uranium, reprocessed uranium, or depleted uranium. Spent nuclear fuel and MOX fuel are nuclear fuels and nuclear reprocessing.

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Nanoparticle

A nanoparticle or ultrafine particle is a particle of matter 1 to 100 nanometres (nm) in diameter.

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Natural uranium

Natural uranium (NU or Unat) is uranium with the same isotopic ratio as found in nature. Spent nuclear fuel and Natural uranium are nuclear fuels.

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Neodymium

Neodymium is a chemical element; it has symbol Nd and atomic number 60.

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Neptunium

Neptunium is a chemical element; it has symbol Np and atomic number 93.

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Neutron activation

Neutron activation is the process in which neutron radiation induces radioactivity in materials, and occurs when atomic nuclei capture free neutrons, becoming heavier and entering excited states.

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Neutron poison

In applications such as nuclear reactors, a neutron poison (also called a neutron absorber or a nuclear poison) is a substance with a large neutron absorption cross-section.

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Niobium

Niobium is a chemical element; it has symbol Nb (formerly columbium, Cb) and atomic number 41.

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Nuclear fission product

Nuclear fission products are the atomic fragments left after a large atomic nucleus undergoes nuclear fission.

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Nuclear flask

A nuclear flask is a shipping container that is used to transport active nuclear materials between nuclear power station and spent fuel reprocessing facilities. Spent nuclear fuel and nuclear flask are radioactive waste.

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Nuclear fuel

Nuclear fuel is material used in nuclear power stations to produce heat to power turbines. Spent nuclear fuel and nuclear fuel are nuclear fuels and nuclear reprocessing.

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Nuclear fuel cycle

The nuclear fuel cycle, also called nuclear fuel chain, is the progression of nuclear fuel through a series of differing stages. Spent nuclear fuel and nuclear fuel cycle are nuclear fuels, nuclear reprocessing and radioactive waste.

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Nuclear marine propulsion

Nuclear marine propulsion is propulsion of a ship or submarine with heat provided by a nuclear reactor.

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Nuclear meltdown

A nuclear meltdown (core meltdown, core melt accident, meltdown or partial core melt) is a severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Nuclear meltdown

Nuclear power

Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity.

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Nuclear power plant

A nuclear power plant (NPP) or atomic power station (APS) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor.

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Nuclear proliferation

Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons, fissionable material, and weapons-applicable nuclear technology and information to nations not recognized as "Nuclear Weapon States" by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT.

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Nuclear reaction

In nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, a nuclear reaction is a process in which two nuclei, or a nucleus and an external subatomic particle, collide to produce one or more new nuclides.

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Nuclear reactor

A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction or nuclear fusion reactions.

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Nuclear reprocessing

Nuclear reprocessing is the chemical separation of fission products and actinides from spent nuclear fuel. Spent nuclear fuel and nuclear reprocessing are nuclear fuels and radioactive waste.

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Onkalo spent nuclear fuel repository

The Onkalo spent nuclear fuel repository is a deep geological repository for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel.

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Palladium

Palladium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pd and atomic number 46.

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Pelletizing

Pelletizing is the process of compressing or molding a material into the shape of a pellet.

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Plutonium

Plutonium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pu and atomic number 94.

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Plutonium-239

Plutonium-239 (239Pu or Pu-239) is an isotope of plutonium.

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Plutonium-240

Plutonium-240 (or Pu-240) is an isotope of plutonium formed when plutonium-239 captures a neutron.

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Plutonium-241

Plutonium-241 (241Pu or Pu-241) is an isotope of plutonium formed when plutonium-240 captures a neutron.

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Praseodymium

Praseodymium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pr and the atomic number 59.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Praseodymium

Promethium

Promethium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pm and atomic number 61.

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Radioactive decay

Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation.

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Radioactive waste

Radioactive waste is a type of hazardous waste that contains radioactive material.

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Radionuclide

A radionuclide (radioactive nuclide, radioisotope or radioactive isotope) is a nuclide that has excess numbers of either neutrons or protons, giving it excess nuclear energy, and making it unstable.

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Reactor-grade plutonium

Reactor-grade plutonium (RGPu) is the isotopic grade of plutonium that is found in spent nuclear fuel after the uranium-235 primary fuel that a nuclear power reactor uses has burnt up.

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Reprocessed uranium

Reprocessed uranium (RepU) is the uranium recovered from nuclear reprocessing, as done commercially in France, the UK and Japan and by nuclear weapons states' military plutonium production programs. Spent nuclear fuel and Reprocessed uranium are nuclear reprocessing.

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Research reactor

Research reactors are nuclear fission-based nuclear reactors that serve primarily as a neutron source.

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Rhodium

Rhodium is a chemical element; it has symbol Rh and atomic number 45.

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Rubidium

Rubidium is a chemical element; it has symbol Rb and atomic number 37.

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Ruthenium

Ruthenium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ru and atomic number 44.

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Samarium

Samarium is a chemical element; it has symbol Sm and atomic number 62.

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Scenedesmus

Scenedesmus is a genus of green algae, in the class Chlorophyceae.

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Seiche

A seiche is a standing wave in an enclosed or partially enclosed body of water.

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September 11 attacks

The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001.

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Shutdown (nuclear reactor)

Shutdown is the state of a nuclear reactor when the fission reaction is slowed significantly or halted completely.

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Silver

Silver is a chemical element; it has symbol Ag (derived from Proto-Indo-European ''*h₂erǵ'')) and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. The metal is found in the Earth's crust in the pure, free elemental form ("native silver"), as an alloy with gold and other metals, and in minerals such as argentite and chlorargyrite.

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Solid solution

A solid solution, a term popularly used for metals, is a homogeneous mixture of two different kinds of atoms in solid state and having a single crystal structure.

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Spent fuel pool

Spent fuel pools (SFP) are storage pools (or "ponds" in the United Kingdom) for spent fuel from nuclear reactors. Spent nuclear fuel and spent fuel pool are radioactive waste.

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Steel

Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon with improved strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron.

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Steven Chu

Steven Chu in atomic physics and laser spectroscopy, including the first observation of parity non-conservation in atoms, excitation and precision spectroscopy of positronium, and the optical confinement and cooling of atoms.

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Strontium

Strontium is a chemical element; it has symbol Sr and atomic number 38.

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Strontium-90

Strontium-90 is a radioactive isotope of strontium produced by nuclear fission, with a half-life of 28.8 years.

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Technetium

Technetium is a chemical element; it has symbol Tc and atomic number 43.

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Technetium-99

Technetium-99 (99Tc) is an isotope of technetium which decays with a half-life of 211,000 years to stable ruthenium-99, emitting beta particles, but no gamma rays.

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Tellurium

Tellurium is a chemical element; it has symbol Te and atomic number 52.

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Temperature

Temperature is a physical quantity that quantitatively expresses the attribute of hotness or coldness.

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Thermal conductivity and resistivity

The thermal conductivity of a material is a measure of its ability to conduct heat.

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Thermal-neutron reactor

A thermal-neutron reactor is a nuclear reactor that uses slow or thermal neutrons.

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Thorium

Thorium is a chemical element. Spent nuclear fuel and Thorium are nuclear fuels.

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Tin

Tin is a chemical element; it has symbol Sn and atomic number 50.

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Union of Concerned Scientists

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is a nonprofit science advocacy organization based in the United States.

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United States Secretary of Energy

The United States secretary of energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and fifteenth in the presidential line of succession.

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University of Western Ontario

The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a public research university in London, Ontario, Canada.

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Uranium dioxide

Uranium dioxide or uranium(IV) oxide, also known as urania or uranous oxide, is an oxide of uranium, and is a black, radioactive, crystalline powder that naturally occurs in the mineral uraninite.

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Uranium-233

Uranium-233 (233U or U-233) is a fissile isotope of uranium that is bred from thorium-232 as part of the thorium fuel cycle.

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Uranium-235

Uranium-235 (235U or U-235) is an isotope of uranium making up about 0.72% of natural uranium.

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Uranium-236

Uranium-236 (236U) is an isotope of uranium that is neither fissile with thermal neutrons, nor very good fertile material, but is generally considered a nuisance and long-lived radioactive waste.

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Xenon

Xenon is a chemical element; it has symbol Xe and atomic number 54.

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Yttrium

Yttrium is a chemical element; it has symbol Y and atomic number 39.

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Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository

The Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository, as designated by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act amendments of 1987, is a proposed deep geological repository storage facility within Yucca Mountain for spent nuclear fuel and other high-level radioactive waste in the United States.

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Zinc

Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30.

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Zirconium

Zirconium is a chemical element; it has symbol Zr and atomic number 40.

See Spent nuclear fuel and Zirconium

References

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spent_nuclear_fuel

Also known as Nuclear spent fuel, Simfuel, Spent (depleted) fuel, Spent fuel, Spent fuel rod, Spent reactor fuel, Used nuclear fuel.

, Natural uranium, Neodymium, Neptunium, Neutron activation, Neutron poison, Niobium, Nuclear fission product, Nuclear flask, Nuclear fuel, Nuclear fuel cycle, Nuclear marine propulsion, Nuclear meltdown, Nuclear power, Nuclear power plant, Nuclear proliferation, Nuclear reaction, Nuclear reactor, Nuclear reprocessing, Onkalo spent nuclear fuel repository, Palladium, Pelletizing, Plutonium, Plutonium-239, Plutonium-240, Plutonium-241, Praseodymium, Promethium, Radioactive decay, Radioactive waste, Radionuclide, Reactor-grade plutonium, Reprocessed uranium, Research reactor, Rhodium, Rubidium, Ruthenium, Samarium, Scenedesmus, Seiche, September 11 attacks, Shutdown (nuclear reactor), Silver, Solid solution, Spent fuel pool, Steel, Steven Chu, Strontium, Strontium-90, Technetium, Technetium-99, Tellurium, Temperature, Thermal conductivity and resistivity, Thermal-neutron reactor, Thorium, Tin, Union of Concerned Scientists, United States Secretary of Energy, University of Western Ontario, Uranium dioxide, Uranium-233, Uranium-235, Uranium-236, Xenon, Yttrium, Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, Zinc, Zirconium.

Spent nuclear fuel, the Glossary

Table of Contents

See also

Nuclear fuels

Nuclear reprocessing

References