Research activities
Research activities of Laboratory of Dosimetry and Environmental Radioactivity (DERLab) are very diverse. The very name implies that we are engaged in dosimetry, i.e. determination of the dose of ionizing radiation accumulated in various materials, research, and development of materials for individual dosimetry. By environmental radioactivity, we mean not only the analysis of natural radionuclides, but also the detection of man-made radionuclides in various objects, both natural (soil, air, and water), and artificial (storage pools and ponds, construction materials, etc.). In addition, in order to assess how far radionuclides can spread (migrate) in the biosphere, we are studying their physical and chemical behavior: speciation in aqueous solutions, formation, and solubility of nanoparticles, sorption on barrier materials, minerals, and sorbents, diffusion through barrier materials. An important part of our research is nuclear forensics, which helps determine where certain nuclear and radioactive materials come from.
Our laboratory has been carrying out intensive fundamental and applied research in the final stages of the nuclear fuel cycle (back-end). These stages begin with reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), which must first be oxidized and dissolved. To do this, we study the volume oxidation of new types of fuel (voloxidation). SNF components must then be separated into individual components (fractionation). We use extraction, chromatography, and precipitation to carry out separation processes efficiently. All these steps require a wide range of scientific expertise, including organic and quantum chemistry, which helps model the properties of organic compounds even before they are synthesized and assess their radiation stability. The next stage is placing the generated radioactive waste (RW) in reliable matrices, whose compositions and properties are studied in cooperation with institutes of Rosatom State Corporation. The conditioned matrix is then placed in a radioactive waste repository, where barrier materials stand in the way of radionuclide migration.
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Extensive list of successfully completed fundamental and applied projects
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