Question: A new way to produce nuclear fuel using electricity has been developed by scientists from which of the following country?
(a) USA
(b) India
(c) Russia
(d) Japan
Ans (c)
Related facts:
- In a Press Release issued on 2nd December,2016 , The researchers of the Far Eastern Federal University School of Natural Sciences, Russia (FEFU SNS) together with those of the Institute of Chemistry of the Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (FEB RAS) claimed to have developed the world’s unique way to manufacture fuel for nuclear reactors.
- The researchers have proposed an alternative mode of production, which forms the basis of powder metallurgy: electric pulse sintering under pressure.
- This new technology allows to obtain products of high quality and to reduce the number of production stages without increasing the cost.
- The main type of fuel for nuclear power reactors is the uranium oxide pellet composition which is produced from a powder by granulation, pressing, and sintering with the subsequent control of the quality and size of the pellets.
- The key idea of the new method is heating by an electric current passing through the mold with the powder placed in. Under these circumstances, the uranium oxide fuel is simultaneously influenced by the powerful pulse discharge and mechanical pressure.
- Using the new method, the fuel pellets may be produced even from uranium dioxide powder, which is not suitable for the conventional technology.
- With its help it is possible to obtain high-quality samples of fuel, including that for fast breeder reactors.
Reference:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/new-way-to-produce-nuclear-fuel-using-electricity-116120200899_1.html
https://www.dvfu.ru/en/