Is reprocessing necesssary?

[Paul William Shafer <paulwilliam_s@YAHOO.COM>]

Dear Radsafe Professionals:



I hope you all have a good 4th of July.  I leave you

with this little bit,



        "Unless the problem of converting U-238 to

Pu-239 and Th-232 to U-233 is solved, there is a

question as to the ultimate contribution of nuclear

fission to the world's supply of energy.....Even the

specialized uses of a nuclear reactor.....such as for

the propulsion of a naval vessel, will be limited if

breeding and reprocessing does not succeed......The

nuclear power industry may develop along the following

lines.  At a few central nuclear stations there would

be located large convertor-breeder reactors with their

associated chemical extraction and fuel processing

plants.  The chief function of these reactors would be

to convert U-238 to Pu-239 and Th-232 to U-233 into

respective fuels, with electrical energy production as

an incidental objective.  The reprocessed fissionable

material would then be distributed in the form of

assembled new fuel for use in small reactors to

produce (electrical) power.....After being used in

these small power reactors, the fuel would be removed

and replaced by new fuel; the spent core material

would be sent to a central station for reprocessing.

Until this is successfully done, the future of nuclear

energy is somewhat in doubt."  (Samuel Glasstone,

USAEC, 1949)



Have a good day,



Paul W. Shafer



=====



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