PNNL

Abstract

Production of a chemical feedstock as a secondary product from a commercial nuclear reactor can increase the economic viability of the reactor and enable the deployment of nuclear energy as part of the low carbon energy grid. Currently, commercial nuclear reactors produce underutilized energy in the form of neutrons and gamma photons. This excess energy can be exploited to drive chemical reactions, increasing the fraction of utilized energy in reactors and providing a valuable secondary product from the reactor. Gamma degradation of cellulosic biomass has been studied previously. However, real-time, online monitoring of the breakdown of biomass materials has not been demonstrated. Here, we demonstrate online monitoring of the reaction of cellobiose with hydrogen peroxide under gamma radiation using Raman spectroscopy, providing in situ quantification of organic and inorganic system components.