Role of Alkyl Chain Branching in the Self-Assembly of Nitrilotriacetamide-Based Lanthanide Extractants

Ueda, Yuki; Kobayashi, Toru; Nakamura, Satoshi; Ban, Yasutoshi; Kaneta, Yui; Nabatame, Nozomi; Micheau, C.; Tokunaga, Kohei; Nakabe, Rintaro; Kaneko, Masashi*; et al.

Langmuir, 42(1), p.1613 - 1626, 2026/01

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.5c05651

Understanding the structural factors governing the metal ions selectivity of solvent extraction systems is crucial for developing advanced processes for partitioning and transmutation of high-level radioactive waste. Here, we systematically investigated the effect of alkyl side-chain branching in nitrilotriacetamide (NTAamide) extractants on the extraction of lanthanum (La) and neodymium (Nd), chosen as representative lanthanides. Four extractants having each eight carbon atoms as one of the amide chains with identical molecular weights but different degrees of alkyl branching were examined. Distribution ratios were measured as a function of HNO concentration, and the local coordination structures of La and Nd were analyzed by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), while supramolecular aggregation in the organic phase was characterized by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). EXAFS analysis revealed that the inner-sphere coordination environment of La and Nd was essentially unaffected by the degree of alkyl branching. In contrast, SANS results showed that extractants with fewer branched alkyl groups formed larger aggregates at low HNO concentrations, particularly in the case of Nd, where aggregation was found to facilitate extraction and prevent precipitation of poorly soluble complexes. These findings demonstrate that alkyl branching strongly influences supramolecular aggregation, which in turn governs extraction behavior. This work highlights the potential of nanoscale structural control as a new design concept for improving selectivity in lanthanide and actinide solvent extraction systems.

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 Accident analysis considering the thermal stratification and containment leakage

Nakamura, Yuki*; Kojima, Yoshihiro*; Yamashita, Takuya; Shimomura, Kenta; Mizokami, Shinya

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 62(12), p.1226 - 1230, 2025/12

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2025.2570371

Run function confirmation of the quadrupedal robots in JAEA facilities targeted for act on special measures concerning nuclear emergency preparedness

Watanabe, Kaho; Nishiyama, Yutaka; Imahashi, Masaki; Taguchi, Yuji; Iitsuka, Yoshinobu; Ouchi, Takuya; Inoue, Shuichi; Kozawa, Takayuki; Nemoto, Takahiro; Sugaya, Takashi; et al.

JAEA-Testing 2025-001, 56 Pages, 2025/11

JAEA-Testing-2025-001.pdf:2.61MB

There is an emergency response team against 7 nuclear facilities (JRR-3 in Nuclear Science Research Institute, Tokai Reprocessing Plant (TRP) in Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, JMTR, HTTR and Joyo in Oarai Research and Development Institute, Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor Monju, Fugen Decommissioning Engineering Center) accidents of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). The team is in Naraha Center for Remote Control Technology Development (NARREC). On site surveys which are about the situations and the access entering route of the 7 site emergencies were conducted by the team in 2021. And the results of the surveys made the team get two Spot (quadrupedal robots) in 2022. This is because the team thought using Spot gave operators the less exposure than using crawler robots which had been belonged to the team. After that it was confirmed that the Spot have the ability to respond to the emergency on the route of each facility in 2023. This report shows the results of the Spot's run function (= shooting videos, running oversteps, running up and down stairs, and so on) confirmation about 6 facilities (JRR-3, JMTR, HTTR, Joyo, Monju and Fugen).

Applicability of equivalent linear three-dimensional FEM analysis of reactor buildings to the seismic response of a soil-structure interaction system

Ichihara, Yoshitaka*; Nakamura, Naohiro*; Nabeshima, Kunihiko*; Choi, B.; Nishida, Akemi

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 441, p.114160_1 - 114160_10, 2025/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.114160

This paper evaluates the applicability of equivalent linear analysis of reinforced concrete model, which uses frequency-independent complex damping with a small computational load, to the seismic design of nuclear power plant reactor buildings. To this end, a three-dimensional finite element method analysis of the soil-structure interaction focusing on nonlinear and equivalent linear seismic behavior of the building embedded in an ideally uniform soil condition was performed for the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant Unit 7 reactor building. The equivalent linear analysis results correlated well with the nonlinear analysis results of the shear strain, acceleration, displacement, and acceleration response spectrum, demonstrating the effectiveness of the equivalent linear analysis method. Moreover, the equivalent linear analysis results were more conservative than those of nonlinear analysis using the material constitutive law in evaluating the shear strain of the external wall of the reactor building. From this result, equivalent linear analysis method tended to obtain a lower building stiffness than nonlinear analysis under the analysis conditions used in this paper.

Development of a quantitative, radiation-resistant feeding pump for use in extraction chromatography techniques for MA(III) recovery

Hasegawa, Kenta; Ambai, Hiromu; Takahatake, Yoko; Watanabe, So; Nakamura, Masahiro; Sano, Yuichi; Takeuchi, Masayuki

Progress in Nuclear Science and Technology (Internet), 8, p.248 - 251, 2025/09

https://doi.org/10.15669/pnst.8.248

Vibration tests for failure mode analysis of piping system toward Natech risk assessment

Takito, Kiyotaka; Furuya, Osamu*; Nakamura, Izumi*; Okuda, Yukihiko

Proceedings of the ASME 2025 Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference (PVP2025) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2025/07

Natech stands for Natural Hazard Triggered Technological Accidents. The assessment of Natech and the implementation of appropriate measures have been highlighted by the accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), and the gas tank fire caused by the earthquake in Japan. However, the data related to the structural failure with the system function is not sufficient to carry out the assessment of Natech in industrial plants, not only at NPPs. Therefore, the authors have investigated piping failure modes under seismic input to refer to the relationship between piping failure modes and assurance of piping function. Moreover, the authors have already performed the elbow and tee loading tests, the shaking table tests on a simple piping system to observe the referred failure modes of small-bore carbon steel piping. As a result, the authors have shown two of the referred modes are an elbow collapse and the axial crack growth of an elbow. In addition, it observed bifurcating into collapse mode and low cycle fatigue mode due to the relation between the dead load and input acceleration level. Consequently, to observe the failure modes under more realistic configurations, the authors fabricated a three-dimensional pipe specimen with multiple elbows and performed vibration tests using the vibration table in this study. The test specimen was designed to observe an elbow collapse or the axial crack growth on an elbow and under shaking table test. From the above, this paper reports the overview of this study and the results of the vibration tests. Especially, it shows the observed two different failure modes, axial plus circumferential crack and not just an elbow collapse but the overall fall including deformation of multiple elements under the shaking table tests.

Circular polarization measurement of -rays emitted from S(n,)S reaction with polarized neutrons

Endo, Shunsuke; Fujioka, Hiroyuki*; Ide, Ikuo*; Iinuma, Masataka*; Iwamoto, Nobuyuki; Iwamoto, Osamu; Kameda, Kento*; Kawamura, Shiori*; Kimura, Atsushi; Kitaguchi, Masaaki*; et al.

EPJ Web of Conferences, 329, p.05003_1 - 05003_3, 2025/06

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202532905003

no abstracts in English

Change in dislocation density via ausforming in Fe-5%Mn-C alloy with lath martensitic structure

Takanashi, Misa*; Hidaka, Ryota*; Okubo, Kota*; Masumura, Takuro*; Tsuchiyama, Satoshi*; Morooka, Satoshi; Maeda, Takuya*; Nakamura, Shuichi*; Uemori, Ryuji*

Tetsu To Hagane, 111(9), p.503 - 513, 2025/06

https://doi.org/10.2355/tetsutohagane.TETSU-2024-092

Gapless dispersive continuum in a modulated quantum kagome antiferromagnet

Thennakoon, A.*; Yokokura, Ryoga*; Yang, Y.*; Kajimoto, Ryoichi; Nakamura, Mitsutaka; Hayashi, Masahiro*; Michioka, Chishiro*; Chern, G.-W.*; Broholm, C.*; Ueda, Hiroaki*; et al.

Nature Communications (Internet), 16, p.3939_1 - 3939_13, 2025/04

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58971-4

The Influence of structural dynamics in two-dimensional hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites on their photoluminescence efficiency; Neutron scattering analysis

Rajeev, H. S.*; Hu, X.*; Chen, W.-L.*; Zhang, D.*; Chen, T.*; Kofu, Maiko*; Kajimoto, Ryoichi; Nakamura, Mitsutaka; Chen, A. Z.*; Johnson, G. C.*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 94(3), p.034602_1 - 034602_14, 2025/03

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.94.034602