Nuclear Waste Eating Molecule
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland have created a molecule called a macrocycle, which can eat the uranium ion uranyl from spent nuclear fuel rods. Why is this important?
Because uranium fuel rods in a nuclear reactor use only 5 percent of their energy, the need to find a way to reprocess this spent fuel into a re-usable form is very high ... and macrocycle may do just that. It weakens the uranyl's structure, meaning that the spent fuel rods could be broken down and the inert elements disposed while the reactive elements are used to create new fuel elements. (Information courtesy of the July 2008 issue of Popular Science.)
While this is an intriguing example of how nuclear fission can be made a bit more green, I still think that overall a transition to nuclear fusion would be incredibly beneficial from a green energy standpoint.
Related Articles:
- Sources of Power Production
- Grand Engineering Challenge - February 2008
- Fusion Stabilized by Chaos - May 2006
Comments
I don’t understand why we consider nuclear energy not green. Radioactivity is all natural. it is all over the world… We only use it for the benefit of mankind. Since we can reuse and recycle, the more the better. We also have safe ways of storing what we cannot use today. Future technologies like this one will provide more way of reusing that energy.
So why the always negative spin on nuclear?
Please explain…
Nuclear Waste is the main problem with nuclear reactors. It takes many thousands of years for waste to break down to the point where it is no longer harmful.
The French have made great strides in the development of ‘used’ fuel reactors. Such that 97% of the waste in one of our reactors is reduced to 3% in theirs. Any new US reactors (none since 1976) would undoubtedly use french technology.
This new molecule may enhance the process of reducing waste even further, so its potentially a very good thing.
The final ‘problem’ with nuclear reactors is their susceptability to terrorist attack. In military terms, they are essentially a giant ‘dirty bomb’ waiting to be set off.
Potentially tens-to-hundreds of thousands could be harmed in such an atack.
Until we develop viable and practical alternative energy technologies, nuclear plants are the only existing technology that can help to lessen our dependence upon oil.