PNNL

Nuclear research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) crosses multiple mission areas, including nuclear energy, national security, and fundamental sciences. At the 2024 Plutonium Futures Conference, discover the latest findings from experts in the field—including surface science and corrosion, nuclear fuel cycle, condensed matter physics and more.

Featured PNNL Papers and Presentations

Technical Session: Nuclear Fuel Cycle: IV

Monday, September 9, 2024, 4:20 – 5:40 p.m. EDT

Experimental Investigations on the NaCl-PuCl3 Eutectic Salt System

4:40 – 5:00PM EDT

PNNL Co-authors: Manh-Thuong Nguyen and Patricia D. Paviet

Technical Session: Surface Science and Corrosion: II

Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT

Advancing Sample Preparation Techniques for Scanning Electron Microscopy-based Particle Size Analysis for Plutonium Dioxide

11:50 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. EDT

PNNL Co-authors: Kyle Makovsky, Aaron Nicholas, Cody Nizinski, Richard Clark, David Meier

Technical Session: Environmental Chemistry: III

Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EDT

Pu Particle Fate and Transport: Deploying Luminescent Tracer Particles in Lab Environments

2:00 – 2:30 p.m. EDT

PNNL Co-authors: Ashley Williams, Amanda Casella, Aaron D. Nicholas, Scott E. Muller, Neil J. Henson, Lance Hubbard, Anjelica Bautista, Edgar C. Buck, Debra S. Barnett, Sarah Miley, Mercedes Desmet, April J. Carman

Technical Session: Surface Science and Corrosion: III

Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EDT

Mapping Surface of Pu Materials with Atomic-scale Resolution via Field Ion Microscopy and operando-Atom Probe Tomography

2:30 – 3:00 p.m. EDT

PNNL Co-authors: Daniel E. Perea, Sten V. Lambeets, Dallin J. Barton, Jacqueline I. Royer, Matthew T. Athon, Dallas D. Reilly

Technical Session: Poster Session

Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. EDT

Pu Particle Fate and Transport: Simulating and Validating Plutonium Particle Dynamics in Lab Environments

PNNL Co-authors: Scott Muller, Mercedes DeSmet, Neil Henson, Lance Hubbard, Anjelica Bautista, Sarah Miley, Aaron Nicholas, Amanda Casella, Ashley Williams, Edgar C. Buck, Debra Barnett, April Carman

High Resolution Electron Microscopy Analysis of Delta Pu Implanted with He Bubbles

PNNL Co-authors: Matthew Olszta, Dallas D. Reilly, Andrew Casella, Mark D. Engelmann

Microstructural Effects on the Rate of Oxidation in Cerium Metal

PNNL Co-authors: Jacqueline I. Royer, Dallin J. Barton, Shawn L. Riechers, Richard Clark, Dallas D. Reilly, Lucas E. Sweet, Matthew T. Athon

Plutonium Metallography Development and Microstructural Characterization at PNNL

PNNL Co-authors: Matthew T. Athon, Jacqueline I. Royer, Dallin J. Barton, Matthew Olszta, Scott Swenson, Strother Cooper, Lucas Sweet, Dallas D. Reilly

Understanding the Mechanisms of Ce Oxidation at Micro and Atomic Scales

PNNL Co-authors: Dallin J. Barton, Jacqueline I. Royer, Matthew T. Athon, John M. Mayer, Josephine C. Hartmann, Delaney Davis, Parker K. Okabe, Kayla H. Yano, Jordan F. Corbey, Lucas Sweet, Daniel E. Perea, Shawn L. Riechers, Dallas D. Reilly, Richard Clark

Technical Session: Detection and Analysis: II

Wednesday, September 11, 2024, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT

The Curious Case of Pu+: An Inductively Coupled Plasma Tandem Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) Investigation of the Energy Dependence of Pu+ Reactions with Small Molecules

11:30 – 11:50 a.m. EDT

PNNL Co-authors: Richard Cox, Kali Melby, Amanda French, Michael Rodriguez, Micah Prange, Niranjan Govind

Technical Session: Metallurgy and Materials Science: II

Thursday, September 12, 2024, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT

Evaluation of Mechanically Induced δ to αʹ Phase Transformation in Pu-Ga Alloy

11:50 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. EDT

PNNL Co-authors: Jacqueline I. Royer, Matthew T. Athon, Matthew Olszta, Dallas D. Reilly, Dallin J. Barton, Scott H. Swenson, Strother J. Cooper

Technical Session: Metallurgy and Materials Science: IV

Thursday, September 12, 2024, 4:20 – 5:40 p.m. EDT

Direct Observation of Nanoscale Inclusion Behavior in Pu-Metal via Atom Probe Tomography

5:20 – 5:40 p.m. EDT

PNNL Co-authors: Dallin J. Barton, Daniel E. Perea, Jacqueline I. Royer, Matthew T. Athon, Dallas D. Reilly

Careers at PNNL

Join us! PNNL is hiring for a variety of positions to meet the nation's need for advancing and sustaining carbon-free nuclear energy, solutions to the complex challenges of radioactive waste, and innovations that support national security missions. Click the link below to see current job openings.