Radioactive labeling in the study of abrasion of hard tooth tissue

Labeling the surface of hard tooth tissue samples by the nuclear recoil effect in radioactive decay was applied to study abrasion caused by abrasive components of tooth-pastes.²²²Rn and its short-lived decay products were implanted into the surface in vacuum. For this purpose irradiation was applied to sample placed very close to thin²²⁶Ra source. Measuring the activity before and after abrasion was used to evaluate abrasion in the system toothbrush — various suspensions of the tooth-pastes — hard tooth tissue (enamel or dentine) in a specially designed device, dentoabrasionmeter VUS 2.     

Cleaning time and fate of phosphoric acid as conditioning agent on human dental enamel and dentin. An in vitro radiotracer study

In this study the cleaning time and fate of phosphoric acid on human dental enamel and dentin has been investigated, using the radioactive tracer technique with³²P as an indicator of phosphorus. Twenty seconds were found to be sufficient for cleaning the enamel from phosphoric acid, which is used for conditioning, and from formulations produced from its interaction with enamel. It was also found that dentin protection is necessary before conditioning with phosphoric acid due to the retention penetration of the latter through subsurface dentinal tubules. In addition, there seems to be an interaction between phosphoric acid and Ca(OH)₂ leading to the formation of a sparingly soluble compound.     

Decontamination of some radioactive effluents by means of ceramic filters

The paper deals with the use of some ceramic materials for the removal of⁵⁵⁺⁵⁹Fe³⁺ and⁶⁰Co²⁺ ions from residual waters. For this purpose, chamotte powder has been used both by itself or in a mixture with aluminium oxide. The pastes obtained by wetting these materials have been shaped in the form of crucibles. The radioactive ions which exist in residual effluents, have been retained to a large extent on these filters. Separately, the leaching of radioactive ions previously retained on the filtering mass, has been studied under the influence of water and of diluted solutions of hydrochloric acid or sodium chloride.     

High frequency circular translation pin-on-disc wear testing of UHMWPE using a ball-on-flat contact along a hypotrochoidal track

To intensify experimental research within the field of orthopaedic tribology, a three-station, dual motion, high frequency (25.3 Hz) circular translation pin-on-disc wear test device was recently introduced. In the present study, the pins were CoCr with a spherical, polished bearing surface of 28 mm radius, whereas the flat discs were conventional UHMWPE. This configuration was intended to simulate the wear mechanisms of total knee prostheses. The number of wear cycles run was as high as 200 million. The mean wear rate was 0.35 mg per one million cycles (0.77 mg/24 h) which corresponded to a mean wear factor of 3.5 × 10⁻⁶ mm³/Nm. The study provided further proof that a wear test for orthopaedic implant materials can be accelerated by substantially increasing the cycle frequency, provided that the sliding velocity remains close to the values obtained from biomechanical studies. Hence, the moderate frictional heating will not lead to unrealistic wear mechanisms.     

<Superscript>40</Superscript>K activities and potassium concentrations in tobacco samples of Mexican cigarettes

Nine brands of tobacco cigarettes manufactured and distributed in the Mexican market were analyzed by γ-spectrometry to certify their non-artificial radioactive contamination. Since natural occurring radioactive materials (NORM) ⁴⁰K, ²³²Th, ²³⁵U, and ²³⁹U (and decay products from the latter three nuclides) are the main sources for human radiation exposure, the aim of this work was to determine the activity of ⁴⁰K and potassium concentration. Averages of ⁴⁰K and potassium concentration were of 1.29±0.18 Bq·g⁻¹, and 4.0±0.57%. The annual dose equivalents to the whole body from ingestion and inhalation of 26 Bq ⁴⁰K were 0.23 μSv and 15.8 μSv, respectively. The corresponding 50 years committed dose equivalents was 0.23 μSv. The total committed dose to the lungs due to inhalation of ⁴⁰K in tobacco was 16 μSv. Potassium concentrations obtained in this work were in the same range of those obtained by INAA, so showing that the used technique is acute, reproducible, and accessible to laboratories equipped with low background scintillation detectors.     

Synthesis,structure, dehydration transformations and ion exchange characteristics of iron-silicate with various Si and Fe contents as mixed oxides

The synthesis of a new series of impregnated metal oxides with different Fe/Si ratios (0.5, 1 and 2) was obtained by the direct precipitation method. Physico-chemical properties and molecular formula of the obtained products were identified with different analytical techniques, such as chemical stability, XRD, IR, elemental and thermal analyses. Thermal kinetic parameters, such as order (n) and activation energy (E_a), of the solid-state phase transformations of the first dehydration process have been studied for the obtained materials from DTA thermograms. The ion exchange applications and the sorption properties of the materials with some radioactive nuclides have been studied, depending on the Fe/Si molar ratios. These investigations indicated that the ion exchange capacities as well as the selectivities of different materials towards the studied nuclides show the order Co²⁺ > Cs⁺ > Na⁺ at a certain pH.     

Sorption of 60Co on a synthetic titanosilicate analogue of the mineral penkvilksite-2O and antimonysilicate

The ability of two different types of synthetic inorganic ion-exchangers to sorb radioactive cobalt-60 using a batch-type method was studied. The two materials examined were the analogue of the natural titanosilicate penkvilksite-2O (AM-3) and a synthetic antimonysilicate. Ion-exchange experiments were performed with solutions labelled with radioactive cobalt (⁶⁰Co). The sorption of ⁶⁰Co onto the two samples materials were compared in terms of distribution coefficient (K _d), sorption percentage and cobalt quantity removed in mg per gram weight of the material. Several parameters were investigated viz. contact time, cobalt concentration, and sorbent concentration. It was found that the batch factor and cobalt concentration had a significant influence on the sorption of cobalt onto both of the materials. This was associated with the difference in pH generated by suspensions of the materials in water which was alkaline for the penkvilksite-2O analogue, and acid for the synthetic antimonysilicate.     

Uranium leaching using mixed organic acids produced by Aspergillus niger

Source term information is required for to reconstruct a device used in a dispersed radiological dispersal device. Simulating a radioactive environment to train and exercise sampling and sample characterization methods with suitable sample materials is a continued challenge. The Idaho National Laboratory has developed and permitted a radioactive response training range (RRTR), an 800 acre test range that is approved for open air dispersal of activated KBr, for training first responders in the entry and exit from radioactively contaminated areas, and testing protocols for environmental sampling and field characterization. Members from the Department of Defense, Law Enforcement, and the Department of Energy participated in the first contamination exercise that was conducted at the RRTR in the July 2011. The range was contaminated using a short lived radioactive ⁸²Br isotope (activated KBr). Soil samples contaminated with KBr (dispersed as a solution) and glass particles containing activated potassium bromide that emulated dispersed radioactive materials (such as ceramic-based sealed source materials) were collected to assess environmental sampling and characterization techniques. This presentation summarizes the performance of a radioactive materials surrogate for use as a training aide for nuclear forensics.     

Waste cigarette filters: activated carbon as a novel sorbent for uranium removal

Uranium is important in the nuclear fuel cycle as both as an energy source and as radioactive waste. Herein, activated carbon (AC) prepared from waste cigarette filters by convenient carbonization and functionalization was chosen as the raw materials for radionuclides adsorption. Batch adsorption experiments showed that AC presented comparable UO₂²⁺ adsorption capacity (106 mg g^?1) and very outstanding selectivity. The adsorption process accorded with Langmuir model and the pseudo-second-order kinetics model well. This work combines the waste cigarette filters with the radioactive nuclear treatment materials, which may provide a new strategy for the future treatment of waste cigarette butts.

     

Mg–Al layered double hydroxide intercalated with sodium lauryl sulfate as a sorbent for <Superscript>152+154</Superscript>Eu from aqueous solutions

In the present study, Mg–Al layered double hydroxide intercalated with nitrate anions (LDH-NO₃) was synthesized, modified with the anionic surfactant, sodium lauryl sulfate, and applied for the removal of ^152+154Eu from aqueous solutions. Modification of the as-synthesized Mg–Al layered double hydroxide was carried out at surfactant concentration of 0.01 M (the organo-LDH produced denoted LDH-NaLS). The as-synthesized and surfactant-intercalated LDHs were characterized by FT-IR and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques. The effect of some variables such as solution pH, contact time and sorbate concentration on removal of ^152+154Eu was investigated. The kinetic data obtained were well fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model rather than the pseudo-first-order model. Intraparticle diffusion model showed that sorption of ^152+154Eu proceed by intraparticle diffusion together with boundary layer diffusion. Experimental isotherm data were well described by Langmuir model. Organo-LDH was found to have higher capacity (156.45 mg g⁻¹) for europium than the as-synthesized LDH-NO₃ (119.56 mg g⁻¹). Comparing LDHs capacities obtained for Eu(III) in the present work with other sorbents reported in literature indicated that LDHs have the highest capacities. Application of the developed process for removal of ^152+154Eu(III) from radioactive process wastewaters was also studied and the obtained results revealed that these LDHs are promising materials for treatment of radioactive wastewaters.     

Magnesium-Potassium Phosphate Matrix for Immobilization of <Superscript>14</Superscript>C

Possibility of using a low-temperature magnesium-potassium phosphate matrix to solve the problem of immobilizing the radioactive wastes containing radioactive carbon (¹⁴C) in the form of calcium carbonate was examined. The physicochemical characteristics of the compounds obtained were determined. Large values of the ultimate compression strength (22 ± 5 MPa), which satisfy the technical requirements for cemented radioactive wastes (no less than 4.9 MPa), were obtained. The minimum carryover of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in the course of synthesis and in keeping of samples for 14 days was noted: not more than 3 wt % relative to the starting CaCO₃. The leaching rate of carbonate ions from magnesium-potassium compounds by 28th day of contact with air does not exceed 10?9 g cm^?2 day^?1, with this value for the rest of the compound components not exceeding 10^?4 g cm^?2 day^?1. Thus, it was found that the magnesium?potassium phosphate matrix is an alternative to the cementation for solidification of radioactive wastes containing ¹⁴C.     

Infrared study of trapped carbon dioxide in thermally treated apatites

The formation of molecular CO₂ in synthetic apatites (prepared in aqueous systems), dental enamel, dentine, and various apatitic rock phosphates after heating in the range 120–900°C has been investigated by infrared spectroscopy. The CO₂ band at 2340 cm^?1 was observed in the synthetic samples, enamel, and some of the rock phosphates, but not in dentine or bone. It is suggested that the absence of this band in dentine and bone is caused by the small crystal size of their apatites. The CO₂ band at 667 cm^?1 was never observed. The polarized infrared spectrum of heated dental enamel showed that the linear CO₂ molecules were either randomly oriented or oriented so that the length of the molecules made an angle of about 56° with the c axis. It is suggested that, if the latter is correct, the CO₂ originates from a CO^2?₃ ion which occupied the sloping face of the phosphate ion site.     

Determination of macroconstituents and trace elements in naturally occurring radioactive material in oil exploration waste products

Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) contain radionuclides, such as radium, thorium, and uranium. The existence of NORM remains an issue for oil and gas exploration because once the material becomes concentrated through technological activity, it becomes a radioactive contamination hazard or a radioactive waste. Pipes and tanks used to handle large volumes of produced water at some oil-field sites are coated with scale deposits that contain high levels ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ²¹⁰Pb. Experiments were conducted using thermal and epithermal neutron activation analysis and Compton suppression for the determination of macroconstituents and trace elements in the radioactive scale sample.     

Effect of burn-up on the radioactivation behavior of cladding hull materials studied using the ORIGEN-S code

The effect of fuel burn-up on the radioactivation behavior of cladding hull materials was investigated using the ORIGEN-S code for various materials of Zircaloy-4, Zirlo, HANA-4, and HANA-6 and for various fuel burn-ups of 30, 45, 60, and 75 GWD/MTU. The Zircaloy-4 material is the only one that does not contain Nb as an alloy constituent, and it was revealed that ¹²⁵Sb, ^125mTe, and ⁵⁵Fe are the major sources of radioactivity. On the other hand, ^93mNb was identified as the most radioactive nuclide for the other materials although minor radioactive nuclides varied owing to their different initial constituents. The radioactivity of ⁹⁴Nb was of particular focus owing to its acceptance limit against a Korean intermediate-/low-level waste repository. The radioactivation calculation results revealed that only Zircaloy-4 is acceptable for the Korean repository, while the other materials required at least 4,900 of Nb decontamination factor owing to the high radioactivity of ⁹⁴Nb regardless of the fuel burn-up. A discussion was also made on the feasibility of Zr recovery methods (chlorination and electrorefining) for selective recovery of Zr so that it can be disposed of in the Korean repository.     

The problem of adsorption on silicagel in a liquid scintillation radiometry of14C labelled compounds

By means of liquid scintillation spectrometry we investigated the counting efficiency of the samples containing toluene solution of scintillator (PPO, butyl-PBD, PT) and 1-methyl[2−¹⁴C]imidazolidinone-2 adsorbed on the silicagel, depending on concentration of scintillator, mass of radioactive compound, and mass of another nonactive compound introduced to samples as an impurity. For the sake of comparison the efficiency of counting homogeneous samples and the ones with Ba¹⁴CO₃ deposit was determined. It was found, that the efficiency of detection of a radioactive compound adsorbed on the silicagel is conditioned by composition of adsorptive layer on the support surface.     

表面官能团作用下的牙釉质原位再矿化研究

采用酸蚀后的牙釉质作为早期龋缺损模型,在缺损牙釉质表面修饰-SO3-功能基团,分别在人工唾液和含氟人工唾液中进行原位再矿化的研究。利用X-射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、能谱仪(EDS)、选区电子衍射(SAED)研究原位再矿化晶体的组成和结构。结果表明,在人工唾液和含氟人工唾液中,表面修饰的官能团均可有效促进牙釉质再矿化。在含氟人工唾液中生成了沿c轴取向生长的具有较大长径比的棒状氟羟基磷灰石(FHA),这种FHA晶体具有类牙釉质的成分和结构,对修复早期龋有重要的意义。     

An experimental investigation of wear of glass fibre-epoxy resin and glass fibre-polyester resin composite materials

In this paper, the effects of resin content on the wear of woven roving glass fibre-epoxy resin and glass fibre-polyester resin composite materials have been examined. Furthermore, composite materials are experimentally investigated under different loads and speeds by using a block-on-shaft wear tester. The influences of two thermosetting resins epoxy and polyester on the wear of glass-woven roving reinforced composites under has been investigated dry conditions. The glass fibre-epoxy resin and the glass fibre-polyester resin composite materials specimens have been tested under different experiment conditions. Tests were conducted for 0.39 and 0.557 m/s speeds, at two different loads of 5 and 10 N. The weight losses were measured after measuring different sliding distances. Wear in the experiments was determined as weight loss. For each experiment, one specimen was used. The amount of wear was measured before the experiment and after the experiment with the apparatus of balance scales with the accuracy of 10⁻³ g. Glass fibre-epoxy resin composites generally showed higher strength and minimum wear when compared with glass fibre-polyester resin composites materials. In addition, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to study the worn surface to verify the results.     

龋病人牙釉质表面硬度及抗磨损性能测试

采用人工方法制成人牙釉质浅龋及使用抗龋措施的龋损釉质样本，分别测量各组釉质表面显微硬度，并以微动摩擦磨损试验机测试其抗磨性能，试验结果表明：各组实验组釉质较对照组表面硬度都有不同程度下降，氟化钠前处理会使釉质表达硬度显著下降，人工浅龋牙釉质的抗磨损性能不如正常釉质，使用两种抗龋措施对其抗磨性能没有明显改善。     

Long term radioactive uptake by two pasture plants in a field contaminated by the Chernobyl fallout

The radioactive content of alfalfa and rye grass was measured in five consecutive harvests covering a period of one and a half years after the contamination of a field caused by the Chernobyl fallout. The measured long-lived isotopes were¹⁰⁶Ru,¹³⁴Cs and¹³⁷Cs. In the first four harvests alfalfa contained significantly less radioactivity than rye grass, while in the last harvest both plants contained comparable levels of radioactivity. The results from the first harvest, demonstrating the radioactivity obtained in the direct fallout, indicate that the fraction of total initial deposition retained on rye grass is by 55% and 70% greater than alfalfa for Cs and Ru isotopes, respectively. The second, third and fourth harvests demonstrate values of plant to soil concentration ratios /CR/ considerably larger than those observed in the fifth harvest. Only the CR values obtained in the last harvest overlap with commensurate values previously reported in the literature.     

Development of New Generation of Durable Radio-luminescence Emitters based on Actinide-doped Crystals

Development of actinide-doped materials with matrices that are chemically inert and resistant to radiation damage may significantly change the approaches to actinide immobilization. Durable crystalline actinide host phases would be considered as advanced materials which are prospective for safe use of actinides before their final disposal. One of prospective applications of such materials is fabrication of radio-luminescence emitters with extremely durable matrices based on self-glowing crystals. Single crystals of zircon, monazite and xenotime doped with different amount of luminescence ions such as Tb, Eu and actinides such as ²³⁹Pu, ²³⁸Pu, ²⁴¹Am, ²³⁷Np have been grown using flux method. Non-radioactive crystals were studied first using cathodoluminescence method in order to identify optimal contents of Tb³⁺and Eu³⁺, which provide the highest intensity of luminescence emission. Then radioactive self-glowing crystals doped with the same content of luminescence ion and small admixture of actinide were grown. It was suggested that content of ²³⁸Pu and ²⁴¹Am in self-glowing crystals should not exceed 0.1 wt. %. Intensively glowing crystals of zircon, xenotime and monazite were successfully obtained and studied. Principal features of these crystals are discussed.