Crystal ‘clears up’ nuclear waste
13 Jun 2016
Researchers from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the US have discovered a nanoporous crystal with the ability to clear up nuclear waste gases more efficiently and safely than is currently possible.
The crystal, which belongs to a group of materials that are currently used to clear out carbon dioxide emissions and other pollutants, is also cheaper to use than current methods.
These methods include the capturing and clearing out of waste gases via distillation at very low temperatures, the researchers said.
Because the group of materials are versatile, the researchers said they can be ‘tweaked’ to self-assemble into ordered, pre-determined crystal structures — meaning millions of tailor-made materials can be optimised for gas storage separation, catalysis, chemical sensing and optics.
The researchers also said that when the waste gases — particularly xenon— are captured, they can be sold back into the chemical market to offset the cost of the clear up process.
A full account of the research has been published in the journal Nature Communications.
