Radiation characteristics of reactor grade platinum group metals

Kovalev, N. V.; Prokoshin, A. M.; Davydova, P. V.; Korolev, V. A.

Publication:
Radiation characteristics of reactor grade platinum group metals

creativeworkseries.issn	2452-3038
dc.contributor.author	Kovalev, N. V.
dc.contributor.author	Prokoshin, A. M.
dc.contributor.author	Davydova, P. V.
dc.contributor.author	Korolev, V. A.
dc.date.accessioned	2025-11-24T13:01:06Z
dc.date.available	2025-11-24T13:01:06Z
dc.date.issued	2025
dc.description.abstract	The paper examines the radiation characteristics of noble platinum group metals (PGMs) extracted from spent nuclear fuel (SNF) of the VVER-1000 reactor. These are the so-called reactor-grade ruthenium, rhodium and palladium. PGMs are radioactive when extracted from SNF, but after the decay cooling of ruthenium for about 27 years, and of rhodium for about 13 years, they can be used in unlimited quantities. There is no sense in decay cooling of reactor grade palladium due to its radioactive isotope 107Pd having a half-life of 6.5 million years. As specified by regulatory documents, such palladium can be freely used only in quantities of up to 34 g. Pd is a soft beta emitter with a maximum beta particle energy of 34 keV. The calculation results show that the mean free path of beta particles from 107Pd in palladium metal is 0.8 μm, so reactor-grade palladium emits only from the surface layer, and other electrons are absorbed in the material itself. The mean free path of electrons with an energy of 34 keV in biological tissue is about 20 μm, which does not exceed the thickness of the skin epidermiscorneous layer. Calculations have shown that the equivalent dose rate (EDR) on the surface of reactor-grade palladium is 0.04 μSv/h, which is below the public EDR value. As a result, a conclusion is made that reactor-grade palladium does not pose a danger in the event of external contact.
dc.description.uri	https://nucet.pensoft.net/article/150529/list/8/
dc.identifier.citation	Kovalev NV, Prokoshin AM, Davydova PV, Korolev VA (2025) Radiation characteristics of reactor grade platinum group metals. Nuclear Energy and Technology 11(1): 55–58. https://doi.org/10.3897/nucet.11.150529
dc.identifier.doi	10.3897/nucet.11.150529
dc.identifier.uri	https://openrepository.mephi.ru/handle/123456789/39824
dc.publisher	НИЯУ МИФИ
dc.subject	SNF
dc.subject	Spent nuclear fuel
dc.subject	Palladium
dc.subject	Rhodium
dc.subject	Ruthenium
dc.subject	Man-made PGMs
dc.subject	Reactor grade PGMs
dc.subject	PGMs
dc.subject	Platinum group metals
dc.subject	Platinoids
dc.subject	Noble metals
dc.subject	Spent nuclear fuel
dc.title	Radiation characteristics of reactor grade platinum group metals
dc.title.alternative	НАУЧНЫЕ СТАТЬИ
dc.type	Article	ru
dspace.entity.type	Publication
journal.title	Nuclear Energy and Technology (NUCET)
journalvolume.identifier.name	Nuclear Energy and Technology (NUCET)
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relation.isJournalIssueOfPublication.latestForDiscovery	eb45686b-4905-4e96-b2a2-8b31acdd2d05
relation.isJournalOfPublication	e11ecc6c-1851-485a-af73-18119b4fce7f