Report of a SEC NRS Young Specialist at the XIX Scientific School of IBRAE RAN Young Scientists Won the Third Award

Moscow, Russia. On November 22–23, 2018 the All-Russian Conference "XIX Scientific School of IBRAE RAN Young Scientists "Safety and Risks in Nuclear Power Industry", which was organized by the Nuclear Safety Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBRAE RAS), took place. The leading specialists of the nuclear power industry, young scientists, postgraduates and students, together with the SEC NRS young specialists, took part in the Conference. The report of Mr. A.S. Emelianov, SEC NRS Junior Research Scientist, won the honorable third award.

Mr. A.S. Emelianov, Junior Research Scientist of the SEC NRS Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Safety Division, presented a report "Research of the Thermal Stability of KU-2*8 Sorbent in Contact with Nitric Acid in Isochoric Conditions". Owing to organic interconnection of various methods of analysis Mr. A.S. Emelianov managed to conduct an analysis of the thermal behaviour of KU-2*8 sorbent in atypical application conditions, that is in conditions of liquid chromatography under increased pressure. The conservative approach in theoretical calculation of the heat amount during sorbent interaction with the nitric acid demonstrated the potential hazard of the process itself. The next step was to obtain experimental data using microspecimens. The mentioned experiments were conducted by Mr. A.S. Emelianov and provided the basis for the next stage of the research: building of a computer model. Critical temperature conditions were computed, which are likely to trigger thermal explosion for the largest diameter of a chromatographic column. Researches with regard to thermal stability of a sorbent in contact with the nitric acid in conditions of a constant volume were continued using another sorbent of sulfocationite class, to which the researched KU-2*8 belonged. The similarity of composition of the two sorbents allows using of the already obtained data for the preliminary estimate of the process safety. The research process is to be optimized to take account of a larger number of factors affecting thermal stability in the aforesaid conditions.

The works were carriedout under supervision of Mr. A.V. Rodin, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, Head of SEC NRS Laboratory for Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Emergency Modes, with the participation of SEC NRS specialists Mr. I.P. Sokolov, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, and Mr. E.R. Nazin, Candidate of Engineering Sciences.

Moreover, the colleagues of Mr. A.S. Emelianov, specialists of the SEC NRS Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Safety Division, namely: Ms. D.A. Boldyreva and Mr. A.L. Vasilishin, Junior Research Scientist, presented their report "Results of Climatic Evolution Forecast Scenarios to be Accounted in Long-Term Safety Assessment for Liquid Radioactive Wastes Deep Geologic Disposal Facilities" at the Conference.

The report of Mr. A.S. Emelianov "Research of the Thermal Stability of KU-2*8 Sorbent in Contact with Nitric Acid in Isochoric Conditions" was highly appraised by the commission. The results of the research can be further applied in the activity of Rostechnadzor.