Radioactive materials have long been a part of American history–from the Manhattan Project to the development of nuclear power. The materials central to these innovations are actinides, or elements 89-103 on the periodic table that release large amounts of energy when atoms are split.
Washington State University professor Aurora Clark leads a group that studies how solutions of actinides can be separated, primarily focusing on liquid-liquid interfaces.
“One of the most critical components of actinide separation is the interface between water or an aqueous solvent system and an organic solvent (such as oil), and often these mixtures are incredibly complicated,” Clark said. “We’re doing simulations to understand the essential physics of what’s going on at these liquid-liquid interfaces.”