Technical and Economic Assessment of the Prospects for Radiogenic Lead as a Coolant for Lead Cooled Fast Reactors

放射性成因铅已被提议作为铅冷却快堆的一种可能的冷却剂[1]。放射性铅是自然界中存在的铅，是铀和钍等以前的放射性元素放射性衰变的衰变产物。通常情况下，它位于远离常规铅的地质位置。一些相对纯净的放射性成因铅的矿床已被发现[2]。与正常的自然存在的铅相比，放射性成因的铅具有更高比例的PB208同位素。PB 208具有完整的核壳，因此不太可能在核反应堆环境中吸收中子。虽然Pb208作为一种极好的LFR冷却剂的潜力已经被知道了一段时间，但设想通过浓缩天然铅来提高Pb208的浓度是不可行的，也不经济。本项目旨在评估放射性成因铅的鉴定和制备是否具有更好的前景。该项目将审查放射性成因铅的技术潜力(在反应堆物理方面)，并与以核物理为基础的天然铅浓缩相比，评估大规模获得这类材料的经济性。

Radiogenic lead has been proposed as a possible coolant for Lead Cooled Fast Reactors [1]. Radiogenic lead is lead that occurs in nature as the decay product of the radioactive decay of previous actinides 9such as uranium and thorium). Typically it is located away from the geological locations of regular lead. Some deposits of relatively pure radiogenic lead have been identified [2]. Radiogenic lead has a high proportion of the PB208 isotope than normal naturally occurring lead. Pb 208 has complete nuclear shells and hence is unlikely to absorb neutrons in a nuclear reactor environment. While the potential of Pb208 as a superb LFR coolant has been known for some time it is not practicable or economic to envisage the enrichment of natural lead to enhance Pb 208 concentrations. This project is to assess whether the identification and preparation of radiogenic lead might be a better prospect. The project will examine the technical potential (in terms of reactor physics) of radiogenic lead and also assess the economics of obtaining such material at scale in contrast to nuclear physics based enrichment of natural lead.