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Lutetium-177 radio-pharmaceutical has become an important theranostic candidate in cancer treatment. Its availability from bench-to-bed requires strategic implementation of isotope-enrichment, neutron-irradiation and radio-chemical techniques. In this paper, the need for enrichment of lutetium-176 is emphasized by estimating specific activity of lutetium-177 as a function of enrichment percentage for typical neutron flux available at Dhruva reactor, India. A novel Atomic Vapour Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) module for lutetium-176 enrichment is designed to meet the above requirement. The paper documents its characteristics and production estimates. The design is carried out after critical assessment and evaluation of available AVLIS-infrastructure in the country. Outline of lutetium-177 enrichment, capable of producing non-carrier-added lutetium is also provided. This work concludes that India has taken a step forward towards self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) in securing the supply chain of lutetium-177. • Estimation of specific activity of 177Lu using Bateman's approach. • Assessment of enrichment technologies for neutron flux of Dhruva reactor, India. • Selection of AVLIS for 176Lu enrichment after reviewing its infrastructure in India. • Design of AVLIS-module to achieve useable amount and desired enrichment of 176Lu. • Outline for enrichment of 177Lu to produce carrier-free 177Lu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) represents a significant addition to India's clean energy initiative through nuclear energy. Noteworthy for its inherent safety features and the utilization of mixed fluoride salts (U, Th, Li) as molten-liquid fuel, this reactor stands out as a unique advancement. This paper showcases the application of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) to ensure the chemical composition of the fuel. The micro-destructive nature of the analysis, minimal sample preparation requirements and the potential for remote analysis position LIBS as a viable alternative to Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The study encompasses the quantification of UF 4 and ThF 4 , demonstrating both univariate and multivariate chemometrics calibration approaches. Various normalization methods on the raw spectral data are explored, and the results are meticulously compared. Upon evaluating different analytical methods, the optimal accuracy and precision achieved were in the range of approximately 2.6% and 3.9% for UF 4 , and about 0.4% and 0.5% for ThF 4 , respectively. This underscores the effectiveness of LIBS in ensuring the accurate determination of chemical composition in the context of MSR fuel. [Display omitted] • LIBS was used for quantitative characterization of Indian MSR fuel. • Different pre-processing & fitting models have been systematically compared. • SEC and SEP were used for different model quality comparison. • For UF 4 and ThF 4, precision of 3.9% and 0.5% was obtained respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Conceptual geological model of unconformity-related uranium deposits in the Badami group of the western Kaladgi basin, India. • Project-Scale prospectivity analysis using manual and fuzzy logic approaches. • Three high-priority targets are identified for drilling and 8 additional low-priority targets for further exploration. • A simple and cost-effective workflow for targeting subsurface unconformity-related deposits using remote-sensing and hydrogeochemistry. Developing successful exploration strategies for finding new ore deposits is a major challenge for exploration geologists, particularly, for concealed deposits in terranes with thick sediment cover. Proterozoic unconformity-related uranium deposits occur at, below, or above, unconformable contacts between Archean and Paleoproterozoic crystalline basement and siliciclastic sediments of middle or later Proterozoic age, often at locations where fault systems cut across either one or both of the geologic units that lie above and below the unconformity. The present study implements project-scale prospectivity analyses to identify drilling targets in the Badami Group of the western Kaladgi basin, India. Topographic profiles; field observations of breccia and lineaments; surface and sub-surface sampling; petrography and geochemistry; drill-core lithologs; and interpreted aeromagnetic anomalies were used to build a generalized local geological model of unconformity-related uranium deposits in the study area. Based on the geological model and a generalised mineral systems model, hydrothermal alteration, proximity to lineaments, proximity to unconformity surface, and anomalous uranium content on the surface and in the groundwater were identified as key project-scale targeting criteria. Seven high-priority drilling targets were mapped based on expert driven prospectivity analysis constrained by a GIS-based fuzzy prospectivity modelling. Out of these, four target areas coincide with the targets identified by the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) of India based on their independent investigation. The three new targets from this study are recommended as targets for detailed exploration and drilling. In addition to this, about eight additional low priority targets were identified for follow-up exploration activities. This paper demonstrates that the prospectivity mapping methods can be applied at the project scale. The strategy demonstrated in this study can be used for exploration targeting in similar basins like the western Kaladgi basin that are structurally less disturbed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Presently the installed capacity of electricity generation in India is 160 GWe. The integrated ene rgy policy aims at an installed capacity of 778 GWe by 2031-32 to achieve per capita electricity consumption of 2700 kWh/year as against the 700 kWh/year. The share of nuclear power in India is around 3% presently. The increase in installed capacity is possible by increasing the share of nuclear power. India has opted for a unique three-stage power programme based on closed nuclear fuel cycle, which provides a multiplier effect through breeding. Consequent to the 123 agreement and clearance from Nuclear Supplier‟s Group (NSG) for international cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, the reactor technology options are wide open. Some of the technologies which are being pursued are: Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) fueled with domestic Natural Uranium (NU), PHWRs fueled with imported Natural Uranium/Slightly Enriched Uranium (SEU), Light Water Reactors (LWRs) procured from abroad using imported Lightly Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel, PHWRs with Reprocessed Uranium (RU) obtained from reprocessing spent fuel of LWRs, indigenous Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) and Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) using MOX/metallic fuel. The increase in the share of nuclear power through above technologies require setting up of fuel fabrication facilities such as: new PHWR Fuel Fabrication with indigenous sources, joint collaboration with foreign countries for fabricating fuel for imported LWRs, setting up PHWR fuel fabrication facilities with SEU/RU under international safeguards, setting up of enrichment and fuel fab rication facilities for indigenous PWRs and a series of fast reactor fuel fabrication facilities for fabricating fuel for FBRs. In addition to fuel fabrication facilities, facilities for manufacturing zirconium alloy and stainless steel structurals, tubes and components are also required to be set up. The paper gives in detail the emerging nuclear fuel fabrication activities in India. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The three stage Indian nuclear power programme envisages efficient use of its modest uranium resources and full exploitation of its vast Thorium resources. Indian economy is on a fast growth track. The growth in population and economy is creating huge demand for energy which has to be met with environmentally benign technologies. Nuclear Energy is best suited to meet this demand without causing undue environmental impact. In view of limited resources of Uranium and vast resources of Thorium, a closed fuel cycle to fully exploit the potential of the two resources is co nsidered essential. In conformity with such a strategy, Recycle fuel fabrication technologies have been under development in India for over three decades. Some of the activities such as (i) Fabrication and development of MOX fuels for LWRs/PHWRS (ii) Fabrication of mixed carbide and mixed oxide fuels for Fast Reactors (iii) Research and development in Metallic Fuels for Fast Reactors and (iv) Development of fuels for Thorium utilization - are briefly discussed in the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: When examined from the point of view of the size of its population and economy, India is not well endowed with energy resources. Studies done by the Department of Atomic Energy indicate that even after exploiting full potential of every available source of energy including nuclear energy, India needs to continue to import energy resources. In this backdrop, an initiative was launched by Government of India to open up international civil nuclear commerce so as to enable India to access natural uranium from international market and to set up nuclear reactors in technical cooperation with other countries. The paper provides details of what has been done so far, ongoing steps and likely growth scenario for nuclear installed capacity in the country. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper is devoted to the comparative study of the radon flux vs. uranium content and radon flux vs. porosity for mineral samples from some typical Indian rocks (schists, quartzites, argillaceous quartzites, slates and granites) used as building materials, primarily around the Singhbhum Shear Zone, Jharkhand State. As the radon flux of any particular rock type was investigated with reference to its uranium activity and porosity, a good concordance of porosity on radon flux was observed. Such a significant influence of porosity on radon flux was also observed when different rock types were inter-compared. For example, granite that is commonly considered as typical source of indoor radon showed depleted level of radon flux when compared to most other rocks in the study area. In case of rocks such as slates and argillaceous quartzites, low porosity exhibited reduced radon flux in spite of their enhanced radioactive source content. It is concluded that it may not be advisable to utilize materials that are uranium depleted for construction purposes without giving importance to the materials'' porosity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper is concerned with the Indian design of a 220MWe Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor having Natural Uranium fuel and heavy water as moderator and coolant. At the beginning of life, it is necessary to flatten the power by loading some Thorium bundles to achieve a nearly full power operation. The determination of best possible locations of Thorium bundles, which maximize fuel economy as well as safety, is a complex combinatorial optimization problem. About two decades ago, an optimum configuration of Thorium bundles was successfully arrived at by using a gradient based method and this pattern was actually loaded in the Indian PHWR at Kakrapar which went critical in 1992 [Balakrishnan, K., Kakodkar, A., 1994. Optimization of the initial fuel loading of the Indian PHWR with Thorium bundles for achieving full power. Annals of Nuclear Energy 21, 1–9]. Here, the same problem is revisited for two reasons. Firstly, computational techniques based on completely different philosophy namely “Genetic Algorithm” (GA) and “Estimation of Distribution Algorithm” (EDA) have been used. Secondly, the enormous increase in computing power during the last two decades is expected to provide a more exhaustive search. Indeed, it has been possible to find out many feasible Thorium configurations of comparable merit. Our results are similar with the result of the earlier BARC study but provide a range of additional configurations. As in earlier BARC work, we find that one can get from 95% to 97% full power without violating various safety aspects such as maximum bundle power, maximum channel power, channel outlet temperature and worth of the two shutdown systems. In the present work, the number of Thorium bundles which can be loaded range from 22 to 34. One of the outcomes of this study is that the computational techniques suitable for this type of problems have been identified and developed. Further studies involving the use of some other evolutionary methods and problems such as optimization of depleted Uranium loading are in progress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper presents a systematic study on suitability of various gamma lines for monitoring of 238U activity in soil samples around a uranium mineralized zone of Kylleng Pyndengsohiong Mawthabah (Domiasiat), Meghalaya in India. The area lies in a plateau region which recieves the highest average annual rainfall (12,000mm) in the world. The geochemical behaviour of the uranium and its daughter products at such wet climatic conditions imposes restrictions to assess 238U through gamma lines of radon decay products. Soil samples were collected from nine locations around the uranium mineralization zone for analysis. The ratio of the concentration of uranium obtained from gamma energies of radium daughter products to the 63.29keV of 234Th was found to vary from 1.01 to 2.07, which indicates a pronounced disequilibrium between uranium and radium daughters. The results obtained from various gamma energies were validated from the data generated by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) technique. The 238U activities from the two analytical methods show a well fitted regression line with correlation coefficient 0.99 which validates the reliability of 63.29keV energy for estimation of uranium in such conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This work was carried out under the specific collaboration agreement between the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) from India and the Commissariat à l''Energie Atomique (CEA) from France. This paper summarises first results of review and research on the possible extraction of uranium from the concentrated brine rejected by integrated nuclear desalination systems, which both partners are currently developing in the two organisations. Three innovative and efficient methods of uranium extraction have been proposed: 1) Resin grafted with calixarene: this method has the advantage of very high selectivity. Its performances, especially for large-scale extraction, still need further R&D and optimisation; 2) Magnetic separations: yet another method with high selectivity, easy separation and affording high degree of material recovery. The method, however, is in developmental stage; 3) Canal system with Braid adsorbents: high selectivity. Appears to be feasible in conjunction with existing technology. It would nonetheless require large amounts of adsorbents and adequate infrastructure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The growing energy needs of India can be fulfilled only by judicious mix of all the fuel resources. It is possible to achieve energy security and sustainability through the introduction of fast reactors in an expeditious manner and closing the fuel cycle. This approach is inevitable in view of the limited uranium resources in India. The Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) built by India uses mixed carbide as fuel and the 500 MW(e) Fast Breeder Reactor Project (PFBR), to be operational in 2010, will use mixed oxide as fuel. It has also been decided that fast reactors beyond 2020, with enhanced safety features and having better economy, will use metallic fuel. Having successfully operated FBTR with carbide fuels, we need to develop the fuel cycles for both the mixed oxide fuel in the near future and the metallic fuel expeditiously. The progress achieved so far and the plans for implementation are discussed in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The application of hydro geochemical exploration for sub-surface uranium mineralization is becoming significant due to the geochemical properties of uranium. The oxygen in natural water enhances the mobility of uranium by the complexing action of carbonates and bicarbonates with oxidized uranyl ions. The uranium and its decay products (i.e., radium group) can be used as good tracers for pinpointing uranium mineralization. The basement complex in the south of Cuddapah basin comprises granite, gneiss-migmatites and patches of greenstone belts. There are different generation of fractures and mafic dykes trending E–W, N S, NW-SE and NE–SW directions. The NNE–SSW to NE–SW trending fractures are youngest and often show higher uranium values in water along the same trend indicating possible mineralization. The fractures are often intruded by younger basic intrusive rocks and quartz reefs which often show high uranium content. Several NE–SW to NNE–SSW trending fracture zones with uranium mineralization are observed in the areas around Shivaramapuram-Nutankalva, Kamaguttapalle and T. Sundupalle villages. These sympathetic fracture zones are important for further sub-surface exploration. The present focus is given on a NE-SW fracture zone along Sivaramapuram–Nutanakalva tract extends over a strike length of ~15 km with a plan width of ~1 to 1.5 km. The tract is mostly soil covered and rock outcrops are scanty. Radioactive anomalies are located at small outcrops in fractured basic dyke, fractured and altered granite, deformed quartz vein, sludge samples collected from private village drilling sites, Pincha river channel sands and soils (U 3 O 8 values up to 0.19% (β/γ); n = 44;). Hydrogeochemical exploration along this fracture zone has indicated anomalous concentration of uranium in water samples ranging from 100 to 19,434 ppb U (n = 110). Selective borewells have been monitored for 8 months to check the seasonal variation. The data remain persistent and indicated encouraging outcome. This NE–SW fracture zone has affected the Nagari quartzite of Cuddapah Supergroup, thus indicate Post Nallamalai Mesoproterozoic Grenville orogeny, which is metallogenically favourable epoch for fracture controlled uranium mineralization. The surface anomalies vis-a-vis the hydro uranium anomalies and suitable geochemical condition along the NE-SW trending fracture make this zone a potential target for further sub-surface exploration. • The application of hydro geochemical exploration for sub-surface uranium mineralization is the topic of the paper. • the study area is mainly a granitoid province where a soil covered concealed fracture controlled uranium mineralization is being reported. • NE-SW trending fracture zone showed upto 19434 ppb uranium content in water. • Radioactive anomalies are located at small outcrops exposed near Sivarampuram in fractured basic dyke [0.13 and 0.19% U 3 O 8 (β/γ; n =2)] and Katramuduku in fractured granite [0.014 to 0.135% U 3 O 8 (β/γ); n =3]. • These surface anomalies vis-a-vis the hydro uranium anomalies and suitable geochemical condition along the NE-SW trending fracture make this zone a potential target for further sub-surface exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the eastern part of India, South Purulia Shear zone (SPSZ) forms an elementary feature of Tamar-Porapahar lineament that trends in approximately E -W direction. In terms of Uranium mineralization prospects, SPSZ contributes a significant fraction when it comes to exploration. For a detailed investigation of subsurface characteristics, a quasi 3D resistivity survey using multi-electrode Schlumberger array configuration was performed near Kutni village in South Purulia Shear Zone (SPSZ). For this approach, we carried out measurements at various parallel profiles perpendicular to the strike in the area, to achieve the spatial resistivity distribution beneath the subsurface. Interpretation of the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) results shows the presence of a conducting body at a depth of approximately 25-30 m that dips in the north direction and has a continuous extent in the E -W direction. Such low resistivity regions in 2D resistivity sections, when compared with gravity results, the outcome was in concurrence with low-density zones. These low resistivity and low gravity anomaly zones may correspond to the hydrous Uranium altered regions. Two more multi-electrode Schlumberger profiles were taken parallel to the strike direction near the exposed outcrop that showed the presence of anomalous zones. The integrated approach of geophysical methods used in this paper improves the likelihood of target location and helps in successfully deciphering the dimension of the geological features present beneath the surface. • ERT survey was performed in SPSZ to delineate U-deposits and correlated with gravity findings. • Results show hydrothermal U-deposits associated with apatite-magnetite-quartzite. • Correlation of resistivity and density sections show a northerly dipping conductor trending E -W. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]