Recovery of radioisotopes from nuclear waste for radio-scintillator-luminescence energy applications

TL;DR

This paper explores extracting lightweight radioisotopes like 89Sr from nuclear waste, utilizing their interaction with scintillators to develop self-powered scintillator lamps and photovoltaic cells for energy applications.

Contribution

It proposes innovative methods to recover radioisotopes from nuclear waste and applies their properties to create autonomous energy-generating scintillator devices.

Findings

Recovery of 89Sr/90Sr from nuclear waste demonstrated

Potential for self-powered scintillator lamps established

Concept for radioisotope-based photovoltaic cells proposed

Abstract

Extraction of the light weight radioisotopes (LWR) 89Sr/90Sr, from the expended nuclear bars in the Fukushima reactor, should have decreased the extent of contamination during the course of the accident. 89Sr applications could pay for the extraction of 89Sr/90Sr from nuclear residues. Added value could be obtained by using 89Sr for cancer treatments. Known technologies could be used to relate into innovative ways LWR, to obtain nuclear energy at battery scale. LWR interact by contact with scintillators converting \beta-radiation into light-energy. This would lead to manufacturing scintillator lamps which operate independently of other source of energy. These lamps could be used to generate photoelectric energy. Engineering of radioisotopes scintillator photovoltaic cells, would lead to devices without moving parts.