Near-Infinite-Lasting Power Sources Could Derive from Nuclear Waste

When you hear about radioactive material you tend to think that it would be best not to go near it. A team of physicists and chemists from the University of Bristol in England don’t quite think that way, though. The team, in fact, hope to recycle radioactive material from disused nuclear power plants in the South West of England to create diamond battery power — ultra-long-lasting power sources. Work is already underway Radioactive waste products are already being removed from the Berkeley Power Station. By removing carbon-14 isotopes from the irradiated graphite, the time and cost of the decommissioning program of the former nuclear power plant could be vastly lowered. The Berkeley Power Station has been out of use since 1989, and it’s only safe now to start removing its radioactive waste products. Graphite blocks when in a nuclear reactor, Source: EDF Energy The second nuclear power plant the team has in mind is in Oldbury, which is in its early decommissioning stages. These two sites, amongst others across the U.K., hold huge amounts of irradiated graphite. This graphite holds carbon-14 isotope, the carbon that could be recycled to generate long-lasting power. Near-infinite duration of power The researchers from […]

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