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Treatment of spent fuel from Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) resumed last month at Argonne-West after the U.S. Department of Energy announced selection of Argonne's electrometallurgical treatment process as the technology of choice for completing the job.
Experimental Breeder Reactor-II was a research reactor at Argonne-West that was shut down in 1994.
DOE's decision has important implications for the future of Argonne's nuclear technology programs, said Bob Benedict, director of Argonne's Engineering Technology Division. "We've got 25 metric tons of EBR-II fuel that needs treatment. This gives us 10 years of useful work while we perfect the process, as well as the opportunity to explore the use of our technology for treating other DOE fuels."
In addition, he said, DOE is considering the technology for treating 34 metric tons of spent fuel from the Fermi-1 reactor, which operated near Detroit some 30 years ago.
EBR-II and Fermi-1 both used metallic fuel bonded to its outer casing by the element sodium. Argonne developed electrometallurgical treatment specifically for this sodium-bonded fuel.
"Sodium reacts chemically with air and water," Benedict said, "so the fuel has to be treated to remove and neutralize the sodium before it can be disposed of." The process converts the sodium into sodium chloride, common table salt.
Argonne's electrometallurgical process removes the useful uranium from the fuel, significantly reducing the volume of highly radioactive waste. Because plutonium remains with the highly radioactive elements, its separation for use in weapons is not practical.
The waste takes one of two forms: a ceramic or a metal alloy. The ceramic waste, which is impervious to air and water, is produced by heating and compressing a composite of borosilicate glass and zeolite, a mineral that binds the fission products within its structure.
The metal alloy is made from the remains of the stainless-steel cladding, which encased the fuel while it was in the reactor, and noble or "non-reactive" metals produced as a byproduct of the fission reaction.
DOE's decision was favorably influenced by a National Research Council (NRC) report earlier this year that gave a thumbs-up to continued use of Argonne's electrometallurgical technology for treating spent nuclear fuel.
After tracking the progress of Argonne's now completed three-year demonstration of electrometallurgical treatment, a NRC panel of scientists concluded that "no technical barrier" exists to further use of the technology.
The panel also recommended that DOE consider the electrometallurgical treatment technology for use beyond sodium-bonded metallic fuel. If used to treat all of DOE's spent nuclear fuel, the process could recover hundreds of tons of useful uranium, while potentially saving taxpayers millions of dollars in disposal costs.
Argonne News recently interviewed Don Michael Randel, president of the University of Chicago. Randel, 59, is a distinguished scholar of music with special interests in music of the Renaissance and Middle Ages. Formerly the provost of Cornell University, Randel took office at the University of Chicago July 1.
Q. What are your impressions of incoming Argonne Director Hermann Grunder, and what are some of the qualities that led to his appointment?
A. Dr. Grunder was a leading candidate as far back as a year ago, so he's not a stranger. I think we are really fortunate to have persuaded him to come to Argonne, because he has a lot of experience in Department of Energy national laboratories. He knows people here, he knows the science we're trying to do. He's a proven leader, a guy who has ideas and knows how to make changes when necessary.
Argonne is a great laboratory, and it's not as if we need someone to come in with a meat axe. But he will be a fresh pair of eyes willing to step up to the challenge of a fast-moving center for science, and prepared to help us think through whatever changes may be appropriate. I think we have exactly the right person.
He's a very charming guy, who has a good sense of humor and a ready smile.
Q. What do you see as Dr. Grunder's biggest challenges?
A. The biggest challenge for Argonne is the challenge that faces many universities, and really the whole scientific establishment in the United States. That is, what is U.S. science policy going to be, and in particular, what is U.S. energy policy going to be, and how can the laboratory support it?
Science in this country is underfunded, and the science that goes on in Department of Energy laboratories is much under-appreciated by the general public. So part of the effort has to be to contend with what is essentially flat funding -- and to lead in that environment, while at the same time advocating support for science in the public interest. That's something I want very much to be a part of.
Q. Dr. Grunder has said he wants to encourage interaction and cooperation between Argonne and the university. What are some of the ways you see that cooperation taking form?
A. I think we have a few examples already. One of the examples would be computation, where we have joint appointments. I think there's room to increase collaborations of just that kind … to make of it, in some considerable measure, one scientific community.
One of the principal directions science is taking these days is the great frontier between biology and the physical sciences, with computation strongly a part of that. That's certainly going to be part of Argonne's future and the university's future. With the Division of Biological Sciences here, and the Medical School, there's a body of science being done here that will be increasingly relevant to some of the kinds of things the laboratory will undertake -- and vice-versa. A lot of the things going on around the Advanced Photon Source are important to the university faculty, so I think the APS itself will be a locus for more and more interaction.
I think the stimulus of closer interactions would be good for the university as well as the laboratory. [For example] both the laboratory and the university will be able to recruit people that neither of us might be able to recruit alone.
Q. What are some of the ways to encourage interaction?
A. The good ideas come from the scientists themselves. The president and the director don't get to say "thou shalt cooperate." It's a question of getting people together, facilitating interaction, and then letting it bubble up from the people themselves. There are some very simple things that can lead to greater collaboration, like better transportation between the two places, occasions when people are invited to go to one or the other, workshops, seminars, colloquia.
Q. Do you see any changes in store for the relationship between the university and Argonne?
A. We are at work talking very seriously about the nature of the administrative arrangements that we need to make here to facilitate the relationship.
We will establish a group of the scientists most likely to be engaged in that collaboration, and we'll establish a group from within the university faculty that can be the primary vehicle for the scientific interaction.
It will be a resource to make sure we have our best people thinking about what's going on at the two places and how we can contribute ... a committee or advisory board on the nature of the scientific relationship. We need people thinking steadily about the science we need to do and how we can do it more effectively together.
By the time Dr. Grunder takes over we expect to be able to say what kinds of things we'll be putting in place and who will be the people who have primary responsibility.
Q. What do you think are the main challenges facing the lab?
A. What's most important is ideas. And in that, we are not entirely our own masters. That is, the laboratory exists to serve some national purposes, and has to be guided by policies that are formulated by national leadership.
The federal government, broadly speaking, is not of one mind about what science policy ought to be. So we have to find our way through that, to advocate and support what needs to be done for science in the national interest. Helping to frame national science policy will be a challenge that all of us face, and one Argonne needs to play a role in.
Energy policy itself is a complicated matter. As we know from the summer, the energy problem has not gone away, it's just taken different forms. Sooner or later, there is sure to have to be energy policy that takes account of something other than fossil fuels. There are a lot of people who believe that's likely to require nuclear energy. This country will have to come to terms with what it believes about that. We've put that on the back burner in a way, and held back from some of the kinds of work Argonne is so good at -- not because Argonne is unwilling to do it, but because it's a matter of policy.
That issue has not gone away for good, by any means. Sooner or later we're going to have to confront it, and Argonne scientists necessarily are going to have to be important contributors to the national thinking.
Q. Any final thoughts for the people of Argonne?
A. I'm enormously enthusiastic about Argonne, and keenly curious about, and interested in, the work that goes on there. Going out to the lab, getting to know the people there is very stimulating. I take great pleasure in that. I do want in on some of that fun!
I think Dr. Grunder and I can do some good things together, and I'm eager to be part of it.
Rodney E. Gerig has been appointed director of the Accelerator Systems Division (ASD) of Argonne's Advanced Photon Source.
ASD provides engineering and physics support to the Advanced Photon Source. The division maintains the accelerator systems and ensures the accelerator meets the research needs of the APS users. ASD also performs accelerator physics research to better understand the limitations of the accelerators and achieve reliable and stable operation of the APS. In addition, the ASD pursues new technology and ideas in accelerator physics to extend the capabilities of accelerators as research tools.
During the year prior to taking over as director of the ASD, Gerig served as associate division director for operations. He came to Argonne and the APS in 1994 from the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory to take over the newly formed Accelerator Operations Group in the APS. Before that, Gerig worked for several years as an applications physicist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.
Gerig has served on numerous Department of Energy review committees and accelerator advisory committees
Marty Knott served as interim director of the ASD before Gerig assumed the permanent position. Knott will continue in his role as Associate Division Director for Electrical Systems in ASD.
-- S. Jenkins
Argonne-East employees who have submitted their requests for new windshield stickers will receive the stickers by interoffice mail within the next two weeks.
The old stickers will be accepted for site access through Nov. 30.
Effective Dec. 1, only the new stickers will be valid for access to the laboratory.
Nancy Hopkins, a molecular biologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will present "MIT's Report on Women Faculty in Science Leads to New Initiatives for Faculty Diversity" at a director's special colloquium Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 3 p.m. in Argonne-East's Building 362 Auditorium
In 1995, Hopkins chaired MIT's Committee on Woman Faculty in the School of Science, which found that tenured women faculty members in the university's School of Science were subject to a subtle form of gender bias. The committee's report, and the subsequent effort by the committee and MIT to improve the situation, received national publicity.
Hopkins, the author of that report, will discuss how MIT improved gender inequity, and how the experience at that university could help address similar problems elsewhere. This year, the university appointed Hopkins co-chair of the first Council on Faculty Diversity at MIT.
Argonne will begin blocking offsite access to network services that rely on clear text passwords Monday, Oct. 16.
These services are commonly known as telnet, rlogin, ftp, pop3, imap4, rexec, and rsh. Passwords used to initiate these services can be captured by malicious users and used to illegally enter Argonne computers.
More details and alternatives to these services can be found at http://www.anl.gov/ECT/Public/accesslab.html or by contacting a Computer Protection Program representative.
Argonne's Women in Science and Technology (WIST) Steering Committee has an opening for one representative from the laboratory's staff of technical employees.
The group's charter includes recommending a WIST program initiator to lead the laboratory's efforts to recruit, retain and promote women. The committee also provides guidance during the initiator's two-year term and evaluates the WIST program's effectiveness.
Interested regular, full-time employees should provide a curriculum vitae and a cover memo indicating any prior experience with WIST activities and providing a vision statement for wanting to become a member of the WIST committee. This material should be send to committee chairperson Richard Valentin (OTD) by Friday, Oct. 20. Members about to rotate off the committee and former members may apply.
Argonne's Foreign Visits and Assignments, Foreign Travel and Export Control functions have moved to Building 302. All communications must to be sent to that building.
The fax number is now ext. 2-6111, but all of the other telephone numbers have not changed. Faxes sent to the old number may result in request processing delays.
"Health Fair 2000," to be held at Argonne-East Wednesday, Oct. 25, will give employees a chance to meet representatives from the laboratory's health care plans and take part in a health assessment. Also available will be information on how those with allergies and asthma can reduce environmental pollutants in the home.
The Health Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the lobby of the Building 213 Cafeteria.
The health assessment will be based on a questionnaire recorded on electronic organizers. Employees participating in the assessment should bring along their blood glucose level and total cholesterol count, if available.
A facial skin analysis, called Dermascan, will assess the overall health of an individual's facial skin and possible susceptibility to cancer. Those interested in determining their body mass can undergo a body fat test. A chiropractor will be available to answer questions.
The health fair is sponsored by Human Resources.
Classes in various software programs for Windows will be offered this fall at Argonne-East.
For more information about enrollment procedures, call Diane Cavazos at ext. 2-7153, or dkcavazos@anl.gov. Full class descriptions and schedules are available online at http://www.anl.gov/ECT/courses/. Class sizes are limited, usually to eight or 10 students, and are held in Building 221, Room A142.
Introduction to Word 2000 (ECT369) -- Monday, Oct. 16,
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cost: $195.
Introduction to Excel 2000 (ECT370) -- Tuesday, Oct. 17,
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cost: $195.
Introduction to Access 2000 (ECT371) -- Wednesday, Oct.
18, 8:30 a.m. _ 4:30 p.m. Cost: $195.
Introduction to PowerPoint 2000 (ECT372) --
Thursday, Oct. 19, 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Cost: $135.
Front Page 2000 (ECT383) -- This class runs one full day
plus another half day. Thursday, Nov. 9, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
and Friday, Nov. 10, 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Cost: $330.
The Argonne Running Club needs volunteers for the 2000 Chicago Marathon, Sunday, Oct. 22.
Each year Argonne volunteers work at the finish line of the race, dispensing drinks, medals and congratulations. Volunteers receive a jacket and hat. Contact Corrie Patterson Kamiya at ext. 2-9246 or cgpatterson@anl.gov for more information.
The Department of Energy has a new home on the Internet.
To allow easier access to DOE information, the designers took a more "consumer friendly" approach to the Web site. It has a primary navigation bar designed for new visitors to the Web site who are looking to find out about DOE and explore its information resources. There is also a secondary navigation bar for the regular visitor who is seeking specific information.
