Valuable heavy isotopes recycled to research labs as security facility is decommissioned

Curium 244 shipment

National nuclear security, energy and research agencies completed transfer of nuclear a rare material among research laboratories to stretch its use and secure it as a nuclear security research facility is decommissioned.

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science and Office of Nuclear Energy completed transfer of 40 grams of the special isotope curium-244 from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

The 40 grams of curium-244 has an estimated market value of $8.8 million, said NNSA in an Oct. 17 statement. “The transfer preserves a valuable and rare national asset and fits into NNSA’s goal of transforming a Cold War-era nuclear weapons complex into a 21st-century nuclear security enterprise,” it said. In addition, the transfer of the curium-244 is an example of NNSA’s commitment to being good stewards of the taxpayers’ money, it added.

Curium isotopes are valuable because they have small critical mass that can sustain nuclear chain reactions. The element doesn’t occur naturally and it is typically produced artificially in nuclear reactors in very small quantities. It is valuable for research work and in powering satellites and other specialized applications.

 NNSA said it formerly used the curium-244 to support nuclear security research work. With advances in the Stockpile Stewardship program that enable certification of the nuclear weapons stockpile without underground nuclear weapons testing, the curium was no longer needed for that purpose and became available for other uses, it said. The curium was stored in the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research facility at LANL, which is being prepared for decommissioning to reduce the nuclear facility footprint to support of a smaller 21st century nuclear security enterprise, said NNSA.

In coordination with NNSA’s Office of Nuclear Material Integration, LANL determined that the material was crucial to isotope production and research, it said.

LANL transferred two containers of the material to INL. There, the Office of Nuclear Energy conducts research into a new generation of nuclear reactor fuels using several isotopes, including curium-244. The material will support international agreements with France and Japan to conduct fuels research work, said NNSA. 

LANL transferred the remaining eight containers to the Isotope Program at ORNL. The Office of Science’s National Isotope Program provides isotopes for sale in applications including medicine, manufacturing and research. Curium-244 is a key feedstock for continued production of californium-252, another valuable isotope, at the ORNL High Flux Isotope Reactor, said the agency.

LANL staff conducted all packaging in compliance with safety certification requirements for capsules and containers established by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Three separate shipments occurred over a span of several months, according to NNSA.