Speaker
Mr
Wilson Calvo
(Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN/SP), Brazil)
Description
The IEA-R1 is an open pool type research reactor located at the
Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN-CNEN/SP) site and achieved
its first criticality on September 16, 1957. IEA-R1 is the largest
research reactor in operation in Brazil, with a core composed of
$24$ fuel elements with $20\%$ enriched uranium silicide, $4$ control
rods (Ag$+$In$+$Cd) and many irradiation positions supplying thermal
neutron fluxes ranging from $10^{12}$ to $10^{14}$ n/cm$^2$s.
Currently, IEA-R1 is operating at $4.5$ MW on an $8$ hours per day and
$4$ days per week cycle.
The IEA-R1 reactor is a multipurpose facility used for basic and
applied research in nuclear and for the production of radioisotopes
for industry and nuclear medicine. For industry, IEA-R1 produces
radiotracers and sealed radioactive sources ($^{60}$Co
and $^{192}$Ir) for industrial $\gamma$-radiography, as well as
doped silicon by neutron transmutation.
For radiotracer production, IEA-R1 has been working with a compact
local staff (3 persons) and is assisted by the Radiation Technology
Centre at IPEN-CNEN/SP, in which there are installed hot cells for
high activity handling. Most of the radiotracers produced at IEA-R1
are irradiated in a quartz bulb inside an aluminium vessel; the only
exception is for $^{41}$Ar production, where a special device
that doesn’t require a hot cell is used. These are the radiotracers
produced at IEA-R1 and their applications in industry and environment:
- $^{203}$Hg: determination of the mercury mass immobilized
in electrolytic cells from soda and chlorine producing industries
($46.6$ days and $0.28$ MeV).
- $^{131}$I and $^{82}$Br: flow rate measurement and
residence time distribution (RTD) studies in rivers, lakes and
wastewater treatment plants ($8.04$ days and $36$ h, $0.36$ MeV and
$0.55$ MeV, respectively).
- $^{192}$Ir: environmental studies, in the form of a
premixed sand (glass powder plus activated iridium), to study drag
sediment in river ($73.8$ days and $0.32$ MeV).
- $^{198}$Au: representative study, in real conditions, of
the impact of great civil works for the construction of important
artificial harbour, airport and hydroelectric reservoir, by labelling
sand to be removed from the bottom with emulsion of gold ($2.7$ days
and $0.41$ MeV).
- $^{41}$Ar and $^{79}$Kr: study the gas phase of
fluidized cracking catalytic plants ($110$ min and $35$ h, $1.29$ MeV
and $0.51$ MeV, respectively).
- $^{140}$La: study the solid phase (catalysts) of
fluidized cracking catalytic plants in petroleum refineries ($40$ h,
$1.16$ MeV).
For doped silicon production, a device that affords the best axial and
radial uniformity of the neutron dose is used. These doping
uniformities as well as the doping accuracy are determined using
resistivity values, showing an excellent doping quality.
A recent improvement was the development of an irradiation system to
produce gaseous radioisotopes ($^{41}$Ar and $^{79}$Kr),
delivering the activated gases directly into the shield bottle without
handling and dose exposition for operators, instead of via small
quantities (batches), through quartz ampoules containing these noble
gases.
| Country/Organization invited to participate | Brazil |
|---|
Primary author
Mr
Frederico Genezini
(Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN/SP), Brazil)
Co-authors
Mr
A. J. Fernando
(Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN/SP), Brazil)
Ms
A. Marra Neto
(Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN/SP), Brazil)
Ms
P. E. Aoki
(Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN/SP), Brazil)
Mr
Wilson Calvo
(Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN/SP), Brazil)
