{"title":"From waste to defense: Cost-efficient upcycling of boron mud to nuclear radiation shielding","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107884","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Boron mud, a byproduct of the boron industry, contains a complex mixture of acids/alkalis, valuable components, and hazardous substances. Its recycling has been largely confined to laboratory research due to prohibitive costs and high energy consumption. A cost-efficient methodology based on room-temperature mixing process is introduced for the mixture of boron mud and epoxy resin to produce nuclear radiation shielding composites (BMERCs). BMERCs demonstrate shielding performance comparable to high-end composites. The study provides a deep understanding of the relationships between neutron energy attenuation capabilities and the composition of boron mud, identifying hydrogen and boron as the primary elements contributing to neutron attenuation. Regression models were developed based on the dual-level mechanisms to enhance the fabrication of BMERCs, aiming to achieve optimal shielding performance for future application. This study demonstrates the feasibility of transforming boron mud into valuable nuclear radiation shielding composites using simplified, and low-cost techniques.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344924004774","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Boron mud, a byproduct of the boron industry, contains a complex mixture of acids/alkalis, valuable components, and hazardous substances. Its recycling has been largely confined to laboratory research due to prohibitive costs and high energy consumption. A cost-efficient methodology based on room-temperature mixing process is introduced for the mixture of boron mud and epoxy resin to produce nuclear radiation shielding composites (BMERCs). BMERCs demonstrate shielding performance comparable to high-end composites. The study provides a deep understanding of the relationships between neutron energy attenuation capabilities and the composition of boron mud, identifying hydrogen and boron as the primary elements contributing to neutron attenuation. Regression models were developed based on the dual-level mechanisms to enhance the fabrication of BMERCs, aiming to achieve optimal shielding performance for future application. This study demonstrates the feasibility of transforming boron mud into valuable nuclear radiation shielding composites using simplified, and low-cost techniques.
期刊介绍:
The journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling welcomes contributions from research, which consider sustainable management and conservation of resources. The journal prioritizes understanding the transformation processes crucial for transitioning toward more sustainable production and consumption systems. It highlights technological, economic, institutional, and policy aspects related to specific resource management practices such as conservation, recycling, and resource substitution, as well as broader strategies like improving resource productivity and restructuring production and consumption patterns.
Contributions may address regional, national, or international scales and can range from individual resources or technologies to entire sectors or systems. Authors are encouraged to explore scientific and methodological issues alongside practical, environmental, and economic implications. However, manuscripts focusing solely on laboratory experiments without discussing their broader implications will not be considered for publication in the journal.