Depleted zinc: Properties, application, production

• Published in: Applied radiation and isotopes Vol. 67; no. 7; pp. 1167 - 1172
• Main Authors: Borisevich, V.D., Pavlov, A.V., Okhotina, I.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2009
• Subjects: Depleted zinc; Gas centrifuge; Nuclear power plant; Nuclear Reactors - standards; Occupational Exposure - prevention & control; Radioactive Waste - prevention & control; Water chemical regime; Zinc Oxide; Zinc Radioisotopes; Water chemical regime; Depleted zinc; Gas centrifuge; Nuclear power plant
• ISSN: 0969-8043; 1872-9800
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2009.02.063

The addition of ZnO, depleted in the Zn-64 isotope, to the water of boiling water nuclear reactors lessens the accumulation of Co-60 on the reactor interior surfaces, reduces radioactive wastes and increases the reactor service-life because of the inhibitory action of zinc on inter-granular stress corrosion cracking. To the same effect depleted zinc in the form of acetate dihydrate is used in pressurized water reactors. Gas centrifuge isotope separation method is applied for production of depleted zinc on the industrial scale. More than 20 years of depleted zinc application history demonstrates its benefits for reduction of NPP personnel radiation exposure and combating construction materials corrosion.