Russian scientists discover radiation-absorbing mineral

[adam7117]

Russia Today
http://www.russiatoday.ru/news/news/13304

Russian scientists in the Khibinsky Mountains in the Arctic Circle have made an important scientific discovery. They've found a new mineral which absorbs radiation.

It does not yet have an official name and is known only as number 27-4. It can absorb radioactivity from liquid nuclear waste.

"It can extract radioactive substances from any water-based solution and so has a very important practical significance," said Yakov Pakhomovsky, the head of the Kolsky Research Institute.

After coming into contact with the mineral, radioactive water becomes completely safe. Had this mineral been available to physicists after the Chernobyl or Three Mile Island disasters, the consequences might have been very different, as both accidents resulted in contamination from radioactive water.

However, it is not as simple as it sounds. Scientists say they need tonnes of it and so far they have only discovered a few grammes. But they are confident that they can chemically reproduce it on a much larger scale.

"We need to learn its properties and so that chemists can reproduce it on an unlimited scale," said Grigory Ivanyuk, from the Kolsky Research Institute.

Every year ten new minerals are discovered in the Arctic Circle, and one third of all worldwide mineral discoveries are on the Kolsky Peninsula.

The latest find may prove to be extremely significant for the nuclear industry.

 

[ark]

Who can read Russian may like to go to these pages:


Bio of Yakov Pakhomovsky:

http://www.kolasc.net.ru/russian/news/P.pdf

Original article in Russian

http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=136312&cid=1


Discussion (in Russian):

http://colonel-sokker.livejournal.com/132258.html

A general opinion is that it is either exaggeration or nonsense.

Some discussion in English:

http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=291203&threshold=1&commentsort=0&mode=thread&pid=20512999#20513351

 

[adam7117]

The original Russian article Ark mentioned (from Vesti) seems to be even more enthusiastic and has more details.

In this version, we are led to believe that the peninsula contains vast amounts of minerals - or at least a large proportion of the types of minerals known to science. It is also interesting that Murmansk has the dubious fame for all sorts of terrible environmental issues due to the activities of the Russian Navy.

Here's that approximate translation. The last paragraph is slightly problematic - maybe someone would do a better job...

The discovery of a mineral in the Hibinskih Mountains, which has caused a scientific sensation, has unique properties of radiation absorbtion. However, many questions need to be answered before its production on an industrial scale is achieved.

Mineral numbered 27/4, found this summer in the Hibinskih Mountains, is yet untitled, but has surprised scientists by its unusual characteristics. Experiments showed that the mineral literally in a matter of seconds can clear radiation contaminated water. "It is capable of extracting radioactive substances from water solutions and, of course, is very practical," says head of a laboratory study of natural minerals Kola Science Centre Yakov Pahomovsky.

Mineral like a sponge absorbs radioactive particles, and then the water becomes safe. These properties could be useful for the treatment of liquid radioactive waste. But only a few grams of mineral have been found and kilograms are required - or even tons - of the new material. But this is not a problem. "You must study its properties, this will give full information to chemists and technologists to make this connection on an unlimited scale," explains Head of the Laboratory of self mineral systems Kola Science Centre Grigory Iwaniuk.

Science has long studied how to create artificial minerals. It is now cheaper and easier. Now there’s a new one, numbered 27 / 4 – as soon as experiments are completed, chemical industrial quantities can be cloned. The very mineral rock discovered will be placed in the Mineral Museum located in the Kola Science Centre among hundreds of other discoveries from the Arctic. "I cannot say where it is possible to do without the study of minerals - they are needed everywhere: they are needed in various processes, they are needed in nanotechnology, because it is the key to further research," explained Senior Fellow Kola Science Centre Viktor Yakovenchuk.

Despite short supply of qualified scientists, this is the 10th modern-day discovery made by mineralogy scientists in Kola Science Centre. "For many, there is conclusive evidence that the Earth's subsurface minerals are not found in the extreme northern parts," wrote Mikhail Lomonosov. Kola, however, is rightly called the global store of minerals. Of the four thousand kinds of minerals known to science, a third lies here. Arctic geologists discover some 10 new minerals every year. Some of them are rare and with sometimes unique properties

 

[dj]

It sounds to me like they may be describing a zeolite - a rock or mineral with special sized pores. The size of the pores determine the properties of that particular type zeolite (or such is my general understanding)
Specific sized pores can entrap specific sized molecules so it winds up having the property of "absorbing" a particular substance. If a partcular radioactive particle fits in the pores, the zeolite would tend to clear a solution of that radioactive substance by holding it in it's pores. The radioactivity is still there, but by removing the zeolite from the solution, the radioactivity is removed from the solution. But you now have a radioactive zeolite.
I don't know if this is what they're talking about, but it would explain the need for tons of the stuff to remove radioactivity from a fair sized body of water.

 

[arlyn9391]

Russia Today
http://www.russiatoday.ru/news/news/13304

Russian scientists in the Khibinsky Mountains in the Arctic Circle have made an important scientific discovery. They've found a new mineral which absorbs radiation.

It does not yet have an official name and is known only as number 27-4. It can absorb radioactivity from liquid nuclear waste.

"It can extract radioactive substances from any water-based solution and so has a very important practical significance," said Yakov Pakhomovsky, the head of the Kolsky Research Institute.

After coming into contact with the mineral, radioactive water becomes completely safe. Had this mineral been available to physicists after the Chernobyl or Three Mile Island disasters, the consequences might have been very different, as both accidents resulted in contamination from radioactive water.

However, it is not as simple as it sounds. Scientists say they need tonnes of it and so far they have only discovered a few grammes. But they are confident that they can chemically reproduce it on a much larger scale.

"We need to learn its properties and so that chemists can reproduce it on an unlimited scale," said Grigory Ivanyuk, from the Kolsky Research Institute.

Every year ten new minerals are discovered in the Arctic Circle, and one third of all worldwide mineral discoveries are on the Kolsky Peninsula.

The latest find may prove to be extremely significant for the nuclear industry.

What is that radiation-absorbing mineral?  I only know is that mineral is a naturally occurring solid formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties.