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The Fission Properties Of Curium Separated From Spent Nuclear Fuel, William Culbreth, Elizabeth Bakker, Jason Viggato
The Fission Properties Of Curium Separated From Spent Nuclear Fuel, William Culbreth, Elizabeth Bakker, Jason Viggato
Separations Campaign (TRP)
Curium poses special problems in the chemical preparation of spent nuclear fuel for transmutation. Once separated from the other minor actinides, the seven curium isotopes in spent fuel can lead to nuclear fission with the subsequent release of a large amount of radiation. Several isotopes of curium also generate a significant amount of heat by radioactive decay. Sustained fission can be avoided by preventing the accumulation by more that a critical mass of curium. The heat generation of curium presents even more restriction on the mass of curium that can safely be contained in one location.
To analyze the nuclear …