Innovative cement helps DOE safeguard nuclear facilities
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ARGONNE, Ill. (April 25, 2008) — When Argonne materials scientists Arun Wagh and Dileep Singh initially developed
Ceramicrete®, a novel phosphate cement that stabilizes radioactive waste
streams, they did not immediately recognize that with one or two extra ingredients,
the cement could solve another problem in the nuclear complex.
The initial modeling of the casks and testing of the boron-containing
Ceramicrete took place in Russian laboratories as part of the Initiatives
for Proliferation Prevention (IPP) program, an international nonproliferation
program administered by the Department of Energy and National
Nuclear Security Administration. IPP especially seeks to employ former
Soviet nuclear weapons researchers in projects devoted to peacetime uses
of nuclear energy. |
In the course of the development of the Ceramicrete technology, Wagh and Singh
formed a multilayered collaboration among Argonne, the Russian Federal Nuclear
Center (VNIIEF) in Sarov, Russia, and Ceradyne
Boron Products LLC. This international scientific partnership created
an unusually efficient nuclear shield that blocks the neutrons and gamma rays
emitted by nuclear materials, enabling safer nuclear storage.
Singh, Wagh and their collaborators modified the original Ceramicrete by adding
boron to block neutrons and iron-containing materials to block gamma rays,
making it one of the few materials that provides a shield against both forms
of radiation. Other materials, such as stainless steel, provide a viable shield
from gamma rays but fail to insulate neutrons.
Poor neutron shielding can lead to disastrous consequences: When neutron-irradiating
nuclear materials are stored in large quantities in a small area, the emitted
neutrons can interact with nearby stored fuel, causing a nuclear chain reaction.
If the material is stored in a large area or in a pool of water that absorbs
neutrons, on the other hand, the site can be vulnerable to terrorists or espionage.
The Ceramicrete technology has earned two coveted R&D
100 awards, commonly referred to as the "Oscars of invention," one in
1996 and another in 2004, and the Intellectual
Property Lawyers Association of Chicago named Wagh the "Inventor of
the Year" in 2006.
Casks with the new boron-containing Ceramicrete-based composite provide a
better answer to the nuclear storage problem, according to Wagh. "If we
can shield neutrons, we can put containers of nuclear material closer to each
other, and thereby monitor the site better. Compact sites are safer," he
said.
The initial modeling of the casks and testing of the boron-containing Ceramicrete
took place in Russian laboratories as part of the Initiatives
for Proliferation Prevention (IPP) program, an international nonproliferation
program administered by the Department of Energy and National
Nuclear Security Administration. IPP especially seeks to employ former Soviet nuclear weapons
researchers in projects devoted to peacetime uses of nuclear energy.
"We're interested in high-volume products based on Ceramicrete, since
it's a product with a diverse range of applications," said Vladimir Arkhangelsky,
a scientist at VNIIEF and one of Wagh's Russian colleagues. "And I'd also
like to continue the valuable collaboration with Argonne."
After the VNIIEF scientists determined that the cement successfully absorbed
neutron radiation, Ceradyne built and tested prototype shields, then marketed
the material under the name BoroBond®. Working with Department of Energy
(DOE) contractors, Ceradyne has introduced the BoroBond shields for storage
of nuclear materials in Oak Ridge, Tenn. These contractors have built several
hundred BoroBond-based casks that now house nuclear material.
"Ceradyne Boron Products has established a high-volume production facility
based on the Ceramicrete technology," said Jim Waugh, Ceradyne General
Manager. "We look forward to customizing BoroBond to meet upcoming nuclear
storage requirements worldwide."
The development of BoroBond not only solves a significant problem facing the
nuclear energy industry and scientists, but also highlights the value that
Argonne's research and development provides to industry and DOE, according
to Wagh. "We
thought of a totally new cement, and with funding from the Department of Energy
we have been able to bring together expertise from Russia and American industry
to develop products that have solved at least one big problem within the DOE
complex. The BoroBond shield showcases a successful investment of DOE funds,
as DOE scientists, U.S. for-profit industry and Russian nuclear scientists
together have completed a project that makes the world a little safer."
"The beauty of the story is that DOE paid to develop this technology,
we commercialized it through Ceradyne, and Ceradyne helped DOE in its mission
of safeguarding nuclear facilities," added Terry Maynard, who manages
Argonne's technology transfer efforts for Ceramicrete.
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Department of Energy's Office
of Science.
By Jared Sagoff.
For more information, please contact Steve McGregor (630/252-5580
or media@anl.gov) at Argonne.
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