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  3. Radiochemical Processing Laboratory
Facility

Radiochemical Processing Laboratory

A national asset with multiple missions in the nuclear sciences

Photo of a scientist next to lab equipment.

At the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory, once known only as the 325 Building, researchers create and implement innovative processes for environmental cleanup and the beneficial use of radioactive materials.

(Photo by Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

The Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (RPL)—a Hazard Category II non-reactor nuclear research facility—has been assisting the nation with critical mission needs in nuclear science since 1953.

Located in Hanford’s 300 Area, RPL continues to carry the baton for groundbreaking radiological research and development. Focused on PNNL’s core research missions, RPL staff execute projects that promote reactor safety, improve and expand nuclear waste clean-up efforts, isolate isotopes to cure cancer, and advance nuclear nonproliferation technology.

Upon its completion in 1953, RPL measured 116,000 square feet and its main purpose was to evaluate, develop, and integrate technologies and provide solutions to applied engineering problems involving radiological materials. By the early 1960s, RPL added extensive hot-cell capabilities with the opening of two new wings—the High-Level Radiochemistry Facility and the Shielded Analytical Laboratory. Now, multi-faceted projects are carried out under a single roof with researchers having access to hot cells, gloveboxes, and radiological fume hoods—all combined with advanced scientific instrumentation.

Since then, the diverse scientific successes within RPL include developing and proving materials to enable Fast Flux Testing Facility production and operation, as well as developing methods for life-saving yttrium-90 production. RPL also has enabled process commercialization, development and testing of processes for waste characterization and treatment of highly radioactive tank waste and K-Basin sludge, and characterization of a miniscule Waste Isolation Pilot Plant sample to study the progression of a 2014 accident—helping to enable restarting the repository.

RPL is a key part of PNNL’s national security mission. Staff produce sealed nuclear material sources to test nonproliferation instruments and processes. And RPL houses the only radionuclide laboratory in the United States certified by the International Monitoring System of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization to process air particulate samples to detect radioactivity.

Research opportunities in RPL continue to expand, with investments in advanced scientific instrumentation and access as a partner institution with DOE’s Nuclear Science User Facilities program. RPL’s rich history for peacetime efforts was recognized by the American Nuclear Society in 2017 with the Nuclear Historic Landmark Award.

RPL’s key capabilities in radiochemistry include process development, chemical and physical separations, tritium processing, spectroscopic online process monitoring, radiological nuclear resonance spectroscopy, and nuclear forensics. Another main mission area is nuclear materials characterization, which includes post-irradiation characterization, microanalysis, spent nuclear fuel, reactor dosimetry, and nuclear non-proliferation monitoring.

Whether through characterizing low-enriched uranium fuel, preparing and distributing plutonium sealed sources for radiation detection, or by providing scientific solutions to nuclear waste disposal, RPL continues to make PNNL a leader in the nuclear sciences.

News & Publications

MAY 19, 2021
Staff Accomplishment

Branch Presents Molten Salt Research for Rising Star Talk

Read
Branch
MARCH 2, 2021
Feature

Real-Time Monitoring Tool Speeds Up Advanced Nuclear Reactor Development

Read
probe
NOVEMBER 17, 2020
Feature

Ironing Out Technetium Contamination

Read
Iron and technetium
OCTOBER 27, 2020
Feature

Enabling the Data-Driven Future of Microscopy

Read
An illustration showing the concept of how a large electron microscope solves scientific mysteries.
OCTOBER 21, 2020
Feature

What A Crystal Reveals About Nuclear Materials Processing

Read
Optical microscope image of a single radioactive microcrystal
OCTOBER 19, 2020
Feature

Nuclear Science Week Honors Nuclear Science, Technology, Engineering

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Scientists Sue Clark and Amanda Lines use a laser for nuclear chemistry research.
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020
Feature

Exploring Oxidative Pathways in Nuclear Fuel

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Scientist Steven Spurgeon sits at a desk with a keyboard and multiple monitors while he controls a huge microscope in the room.
AUGUST 5, 2020
Feature

Trapping and Reusing Noble, Yet Volatile, Gases

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radioactively stable MOF noble gas capture
AUGUST 3, 2020
Feature

Tracking the Neural Network’s Nuclear Clues

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Nuclear clues
APRIL 16, 2020
Feature

Rad Revelations from Noble Metals

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Noble Metal
JANUARY 10, 2020
Feature

Clark Recognized for Nuclear Chemistry Research

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Scientists Sue Clark and Amanda Lines use a laser for nuclear chemistry research.
DECEMBER 10, 2019
Feature

Separations Book Brings Fields Together

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Scientist Reid Peterson shows a book about nuclear chemistry while sitting in a research lab.
DECEMBER 4, 2019
Feature

A More Painless Extraction

Read
Research was done in a hot cell, which is a special glassed-in area to protect researchers from radioactivity. Inside the hot cell has a yellow glow. The person outside controls mechanical arms to do the work in the hot cell.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2019
Feature

Charting the Frontier of Electron Microscopy

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Two female scientists and one male scientist stand by a banner listing the sponsors for the NexTEM workshop.
AUGUST 12, 2019
Feature

A Window into the Hidden Nuclear World

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Purple and gold atoms show the structure of uranium dioxide
JUNE 26, 2019
Feature

Tough Materials for Tough Environments

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Molecular structure illustrated with blue and yellow circles, connected with red lines.
APRIL 23, 2019
Feature

Researchers Study Radioactive Material Behavior—Without the Radioactivity

Read
Scientific illustration of a laser beam
MARCH 7, 2019
Feature

New Microscope Reveals Xenon in Fuel Cladding

Read
JEOL GrandARM RPL 2018
JANUARY 31, 2019
Feature

Plutonium Experiment Opens New Research Possibilities

Read
Scientific closeup of plutonium. Multicolored.
DECEMBER 17, 2018
Feature

Radiological Microscopy Suite Enables Innovative Nuclear Science

Read
Two men are using a large electron microsope to do science research.
MAY 16, 2018
News Release

PNNL Successfully Vitrifies Three Gallons of Radioactive Tank Waste

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pnnl-successfully-vitrifies
JULY 22, 2018
Director's Column

This Historic PNNL Lab Runs 'Hot' and 'Quiet'

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jeff
NOVEMBER 13, 2018
Feature

PNNL Workshop Gathers International Experts to Forecast the Future of Electron Microscopy

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Researcher Steven Spurgeon stands at a podium to speak to a room full of scientists.
NOVEMBER 5, 2018
Feature

Fast and Hot, Samples Go From PNNL to CERN

Read
Three men standing outside hot cell, looks like a large green metal box with a window
NOVEMBER 28, 2017
News Release

ANS Dedicates Nuclear Historic Landmark Award to PNNL

Read
ANS-dedicates-nuclear-historic-landmark-award
SEE MORE RELATED NEWS

Facilities

318 Building Applied Process Engineering Laboratory Shallow Underground Laboratory Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

Related Research

Chemistry Environmental Remediation Nuclear Energy Nuclear Nonproliferation Nuclear & Particle Physics Waste Processing

Related Links

Additional Capabilities in RPL

Brochures

File

Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (RPL) capabilities brochure

File

PNNL RPL-A National Asset With Multiple Missions (ANS, 2017).pdf

File

ANS RPL press release Nov 2017.pdf

Contacts

Adam Poloski
Group Leader, Nuclear Chemistry & Engineering, Nuclear Sciences Division
adam.poloski@pnnl.gov
509-375-6854
David Meier, PhD
Group Leader, Nuclear Material Processing
david.meier@pnnl.gov
(509) 375-5685

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