March 11, 2009 -- Israeli scientists have devised a technique to keep plutonium produced in nuclear power plants from being used in nuclear bombs. Adding the element Americium, a synthetic compound used in commercial smoke detectors and industrial gauges, to nuclear power plant fuel generates higher-than-normal concentrations of a particular type of plutonium, rendering it useless for armaments without additional processing. "If you make a bomb with a lot of Plutonium-238, you'd melt down the structure of the bomb. You can't create it," Yigal Ronen, a professor of nuclear engineering at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, told Discovery News. The technique could make it easier for the United States, Russia, Germany, France and Japan to assist countries such as Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Oman and Malaysia -- among others -- that are seeking to develop nuclear power plants. Related Content:
Concerns about weapons proliferation currently compete with economic and other issues associated with spreading nuclear energy technology. "There's a huge nuclear renaissance going on right now," said Jon Schwantes, a senior research scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wa. "If the United States were to choose to stay out of it, you could argue that it would be somewhat dangerous on the national security front," Schwantes told Discovery News. "You want to be involved in the development of these technologies around the world so things like safeguards can be implemented." Ronen said that adding Americium, already a reactor waste product, to nuclear fuel "is like killing two birds with one stone," and probably well worth the extra cost of fuel production. The United States has been working on research initiative for a new generation of fuels for nuclear reactors to not only stem weapons proliferation, but also to make nuclear fuel more reusable and environmentally compatible. "It's still burnable, but not for use in weapons," Schwantes said. Get More NewsMouse Cloned From Long-Frozen CellResearchers create a mouse from a long-frozen cell. Will the mammoth be next?'Bubble' Could Protect AstronautsScientists say a "bubble" around a Mars-bound spaceship could protect astronauts.Big Reduction of Snowmobiles in Yellowstone ProposedA new plan would cut snowmobile use by 40 percent in Yellowstone.Microbes: Fuel of the Future?A reddish South American microbe is literally breathing fuel, say scientists.DNA Links Remains to Steve FossetDNA tests on two bones found in California confirm they are those of Steve Fossett.Women Carry More Bacteria Than MenSome bacteria prefer women, suggests a new study. But why?Ancient 'Water Monster' Facing ExtinctionA foot-long salamander that was a key part of Aztec legend is threatened by extinction.Grand Canyon's Youth ConfirmedThe Grand Canyon is millions of years younger than previously thought, argue geologists.My Take: E-Voting Not User FriendlyOpinion: Electronic voting machines don't always capture the intent of voters.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.At 40, Brain and Body SlowThe part of the brain in charge of motion starts a gradual slide in middle age.Spiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates. |
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