Researchers at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Technology Center are using advanced microscopy techniques to understand the effects of trace organic chemical additions on nuclear waste slurry flow properties. Trace organic chemicals, surfactants (rheology modifiers), are being used in all types of industries to modify the flow properties of various commercial chemicals. Nuclear waste treatment at the Department of Energy's weapons production facilities, Savannah River Site and Hanford Reservation, is limited by the viscosity of the nuclear waste slurries as the material is processed through a variety of waste treatment and immobilization processes. The picture was taken using a laser scanning confocal microscope.
['T. B. Calloway', 'Robin L. Brigmon', 'William E. Daniel', 'R.E. Eibling']
Laser scanning confocal microscopic investigations of simulated nuclear waste structures