Prospective Large-Scale Transmutation of Fission Iodine

Abstract

The effective neutron capture cross section of 129I was determined at irradiation of 11.3±0.55 mg of KI (83.5% 129I and 16.5% 127I) for 6 h in a V10 channel of the beryllium reflector of VVR-M water-cooled water-moderated reactor (PINF) at average power of 12 MW. The neutron spectrum was measured by the activation procedure. For this purpose a series of thermal, resonance, and threshold detectors and a weighed portion of iodine were irradiated. The neutron spectrum was restored from the γ-ray spectra of these samples by the best fit procedure. The neutron capture cross section of 129I, averaged over the neutron spectrum in the beryllium reflector of VVR-M reactor, was 17.8±3.2 b. The activities of products formed from a model 127I portion of iodine were irradiated. The neutron spectrum was restored from the γ-ray spectra of these samplesby the best fit procedure. The neutron capture cross section of 129I, averaged over the neutron spectrum in theberyllium reflector of VVR-M reactor, was 17.8±3.2 b. The activities of products formed from a model 127Isample irradiated in a loop of VVR-M reactor under steady-state conditions were calculated.