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U.S. Department of Energy
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Nuclear-powered pacemaker fuel cladding study. [Difficulty of dissolving cladding and /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ for obtaining materials for acts of terrorism]

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7348387
The fabrication of fuel capsules with refractory metal and alloy clads used in nuclear-powered cardiac pacemakers precludes the expedient dissolution of the clad in inorganic acid solutions. An experiment to measure penetration rates of acids on commonly used fuel pellet clads indicated that it is not impossible, but that it would be very difficult to dissolve the multiple cladding. This work was performed because of a suggestion that a /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/-powered pacemaker could be transformed into a terrorism weapon.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn. (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
OSTI ID:
7348387
Report Number(s):
ORNL/TM-5127
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English