Researchers used novel methods to safely create and analyze plutonium samples. The approaches could prove influential in future studies of the radioactive material, benefitting research in legacy, national security and nuclear fuels.

PNNL scientists served as lead guest editors for a special issue of the Journal of Applied Radiation and Isotopes.

Once cooled, this molten glass can trap radioactive waste for thousands of years.

April 26 marks the 31st anniversary of the explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant's Unit 4 reactor. Battelle researchers at PNNL were involved in an international consortium to look at long-term safety and containment of Unit 4. T

In fast-neutron reactors, fuel is sealed in ~7 millimeter diameter steel tubes called cladding. When a high-energy "fast" neutron strikes an atom in the steel, it can knock the atom out of place, like a cue ball striking another billiard ball. This leaves two types of damage in the metal: an empty spot where the atom was, and the displaced atom wedged between other atoms. Over time, these defects typically drive undesirable rearrangement of the microstructure, potentially reducing the life of the cladding.