Chemical inhibitions of radioactive elements

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the possibility of chemically inhibiting or blocking ionizing radiation from radioactive elements, particularly in the context of long-term nuclear waste storage. Participants explore various aspects of radiation shielding, the role of chemical bonds, and the influence of electronic structure on radioactivity.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the meaning of "chemically inhibit" ionizing radiation and whether traditional methods like using lead fit this description.
  • One participant suggests that if it were possible to chemically inhibit depleted uranium, it could reduce transportation loads and mitigate the consequences of spills.
  • Another participant argues that shielding from radiation is primarily a mechanical process, asserting that chemical bonds do not play a significant role in blocking radiation.
  • A participant compares the concept of blocking radiation chemically to ineffective methods of blocking sound or light, emphasizing the distinct mechanisms of nuclear radiation and chemical bonds.
  • Some participants note that the electronic structure of materials can influence radioactivity, citing examples such as electron capture affecting half-lives and the impact of chemical environments on nuclear decay processes.
  • One participant references a study indicating that beryllium-7 has a shorter half-life when placed in a fullerene due to increased electron density at the nucleus.
  • Another participant challenges the relevance of electronic structure changes to the practical application of storing nuclear waste.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the feasibility and relevance of chemically inhibiting radiation. Some support the exploration of chemical influences on radioactivity, while others argue that traditional shielding methods are more effective and question the applicability of these concepts to nuclear waste storage.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved assumptions regarding the effectiveness of chemical methods versus mechanical shielding in radiation absorption. The discussion also highlights the complexity of interactions between chemical environments and nuclear decay mechanisms, which may not directly apply to practical waste storage solutions.

Mayhem
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Is it possible to chemically inhibit (block/absorb) ionizing radiation from radioactive elements, and is any research being done in this area to use it for long term storage of nuclear waste (in conjunction with other precautions, of course)?
 
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Mayhem said:
chemically inhibit (block/absorb) ionizing radiation
What does this mean? Why isn't blocking it with lead, for example, something that fits this description?
 
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Vanadium 50 said:
What does this mean? Why isn't blocking it with lead, for example, something that fits this description?
If you could chemically inhibit, let's say, depleted uranium atomically such that the radiation is weakened, then transportation loads could be made lighter and accidental spills would be less catastrophic.
 
Lead attenuates (is that what you mean by "weaken"?) the radiation.
 
Mayhem said:
Is it possible to chemically inhibit (block/absorb) ionizing radiation from radioactive elements
In case of (any dangerous level/type of) radiation, the chemical bonds and radiation are just not playing in the same league. Shielding/absorbing in general is done through mechanical means (radiation bashing around atoms, electrons, nuclei and losing energy while bouncing back and forth)(well, mostly true, up to a certain value of 'true'), since this has no upper limit on energy transfer.
Chemistry has.

The only say chemistry has in this matter is about holding the right obstacles in right place in a convenient way.
 
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Blocking radiation chemically is sort of like blocking sound with a single sheet of paper, or a light beam with a single sheet of glass.

Chemical bonds involve the sharing of orbital Electrons between different atoms.

Nuclear Radiation is when a sub-atomic particular is emitted from the nucleus of an atom, and has nothing to do with the Electrons in orbit.

They are two completely different mechanisms.

Cheers,
Tom
 
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There are a few prominent instances where the electronic structure of a material will affect its radioactivity. Probably the most well-known is the case where a nucleus undergoes electron capture (inverse beta decay) as a decay mechanism. The half-life is dependent on the electron density at the nucleus, which is dependent on the chemical environment of the atom.
https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.112501
In this PRL paper, beryllium-7 was observed to have a shorter half life (by several percent) when placed inside a fullerene. The higher electron density at the beryllium nucleus makes electron capture more likely, shortening the half life.

In principle, the half life for alpha decay should also change slightly when the electron density at the nucleus changes, as the Coulomb portion of the potential that the alpha has to tunnel through is altered. I have a vague memory of a paper from long ago saying this effect is very very small.

Technically, I guess Mossbauer spectroscopy falls into this camp too. The energy of a gamma photon emitted from an excited nucleus (usually Fe-57 or some cobalt nucleus) changes depending on the chemical environment the nucleus is in.
 
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None of that has any relevance to the OP's application of storing nuclear waste.
 

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