Nuclear and Atomic Physics

   

Recycled Radioactive Waste in the Space Industry

Authors: V. A. Kizka

The article presents the idea of using radioactive waste as a material for the manufacture of components, parts and electronics of space probes and planetary rovers. Since space technology operates in conditions of increased radiation, the manufacture of this technology from radioactive materials will not affect its functionality. As an example, I consider the recycling of radioactive building materials resulting from nuclear tests, catastrophes and the decommissioning of nuclear facilities. Modern installations for the recycling of radioactive metal make it possible to completely deactivate it, only the slag from remelting remains radioactive. Modern industrial technologies make it possible to completely recycle this slag, separating useful chemical elements and compounds from it, and also making powders of various dispersions from them. In this way, radioactive powders can be obtained. The idea is presented to use radioactive powders as fillers in composite materials, since it is known that composites significantly improve their properties in radiation fields. For the recycling of radioactive concrete, it is proposed to use the same technologies as for the recycling of lunar and Martian regolith, since concrete and rock are similar in composition. The radioactive oxygen obtained after such recycling can be used as rocket fuel, and radioactive metals and metalloids for the manufacture of devices and parts for space technology, including radioactive powders for composites. As humanity plans to populate all the terrestrial planets, satellites of the large planets and asteroids of the solar system, a constant increase in the number of launches of automatic probes and planetary rovers is expected, which can be completely or partially made from recycled radioactive materials of any category.

Comments: 12 Pages. doi:10.20944/preprints202205.0198.v1

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Submission history

[v1] 2022-06-09 21:28:59

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