uranium •

Scientists are working on a new material that could making the collection of xenon and krypton easier, making nuclear power clean and cost efficient

Nuclear energy could finally be clean and cost-efficient thanks to Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Nuclear fuel recycling and waste reduction could potentially be better achieved with the help of a new material that will capture certain gasses released during reprocessing. Presently, this procedure requires considerable amounts of energy as the current technology needs to operate at very low temperatures. The new material does not have the temperature requirement, substantially decreasing the costs to make reprocessing cleaner. In addition, not having the need for very low temperatures could make the new material available on commercial markets.

The material in question is being created by exploring the characteristics of materials known as metal-organic frameworks. It was designed with the aid of computer modeling.

With the new material, it is believed that Uranium and Plutonium, the two most commonly used nuclear fuels could be recycled.

Presently, one of the most important steps in recycling nuclear fuel is the collection of radioactive gasses which are emitted during nuclear fuel reprocessing. The collection of Xenon and Krypton, the aforementioned radioactive gasses, requires complex cryogenic procedures.

The cryogenic methods lower the temperatures to such a degree that the gases become solids. It is in this extremely low temperature that the now solid radioactive materials are collected. Each individual process that is part of this procedure is costly as well as energy intensive, reducing the energy output of the nuclear fuels in the first place by a substantial portion.

Metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs, are believed to have the ability to trap the Xenon and the Krypton at an ambient temperature. It is the MOFs that scientists intend to use as the cornerstones for the new material.

The biggest challenge in creating the new material lies in having to test the prototypes regularly out. While MOFs have the ability to trap the radioactive gases and hold them, that is still a molecular-scale occurrence. Different MOFs need to be designed, created, tested, and each of these processes needs to be thorough.

As of now, scientists involved in the project believe that they have found the adequate MOF for the Xenon radioactive gas. They have named it SBMOF-1, at least for now.

SBMOF-1 was initially believed to be able to trap xenon at a temperature of 300 degrees Celsius, but that proved to be too high. Further testing then revealed that 100 degrees Celsius (the boiling temperature of water) was all that was needed to enable SBMOF-1 to trap the Xenon radioactive molecules safely.

Once the other metal-organic framework is found, the new materials will go through rigorous safety tests. The research team, however, is more than convinced that the material will perform adequately. After being added to the commercial market, nuclear fuel could probably become the cleanest and safest of all fuels.

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia.

If you want to avoid the risk of developing lung cancer, then you should invest in a radon test.

This month you should invest in a radon test. Because January is the first month of the year, is the period in which most people make new resolutions. One of these year’s resolutions for you should be to make sure your home is a healthy environment. This is extremely important since you spend a lot of time there. And if you have kids, then the problem is more obvious.

You should not remain ignorant to this problem, since radon can cause a lot of damage. If you’ll ever try to sell your property for example, a radon test will be required and the results could be shocking for you. If you detect the problems caused by radon early, you’ll be able to spare more money.

Radon can’t be seen with the clear eye, since it is invisible. Because it has no taste and no odor makes it impossible to be detected. Radon is actually a radioactive gas that forms when uranium breaks in the ground. This gas is more likely to appear in the houses built on ridges or rocky cliffs. Because radon is the second cause that leads to lung cancer, it is vital to be detected in time.

As we said before, radon is created by a natural process. When the uranium breaks, the radon is released in the soil. Being a gas though, it can move through the ground and it uses any hole or crack in the foundation of your home to enter. When people breathe the air infected with radon, severe cell damage can occur, even lung cancer.

According to researchers, every year 20,000 people die because of lung cancer caused by unidentified radon. Shocking discoveries also revealed that 1 in 15 houses has high levels of the deadly gas.

We suggested that you should do the radon test now not only because it could be a very good start of the year, but because the winter season is the best one to do it, according to the experts. This is mostly because during winter, the homes are closed for heating.

You can have your house tested for radon for a sum that can range between $800 and $2,500. If you are building a new home, then you can build protection against radon for a much cheaper price, between $250 and $750.

Because we have proven to you how deadly high levels of radon can be, this month you should invest in a radon test. Even though this is the optimal time, if you don’t have that much money now, you can wait until spring or even summer. But do it as fast as possible.

Image Source: www.upload.wikimedia.org

Nuclear Fuel, Clean and Cost-Efficient, With Metal-Organic Frameworks

This Month You Should Invest in a Radon Test

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