INL’s new Sample Preparation Lab is first hot cell facility in 49 years. Here’s what it will do

The caller Sample Preparation Laboratory astatine INL will supply investigation and testing of atomic materials. Robots will beryllium utilized for immoderate of nan tasks, which nan video supra highlights. | Courtesy INL

ARCO – The Idaho National Lab’s caller Sample Preparation Laboratory was completed up of schedule and nether fund and labor celebrated pinch a ribbon-cutting Wednesday morning.

Construction connected nan 49,000-square-foot building began successful June 2020. It’s slated to statesman cognition sometime successful 2025.

In a speech pinch EastIdahoNews.com, INL Director John Wagner explains what nan caller building will beryllium utilized for.

“This building is for investigation connected irradiated materials,” Wagner says. “It will thief america amended understand nan capacity of existing materials successful atomic reactors today, really agelong they will run and really they’ll execute complete time.”

The superior materials utilized successful nan Sample Preparation Lab are alloy and metallic alloys.

“We don’t conscionable put caller materials successful reactors and dream it goes ok,” Wagner explains. “We do a batch of testing and improvement of nan materials themselves … but past we besides person to verify it performs nan measurement we deliberation it will.”

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This knowledge will thief widen nan life of atomic reactors presently successful development.

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This is nan first basking compartment installation built astatine nan INL successful 49 years, according to a news release. It’s been successful nan useful for galore years.

Hot cells wrong nan Sample Preparation Laboratory. | Courtesy INL

The $166 cardinal task was funded by Congress successful 2019 and comes from payer dollars.

Rep. Mike Simpson, who serves connected aggregate committees that supply backing for respective agencies benefitting Idaho, including nan Department of Energy, has been a beardown advocator for nan INL complete nan years. He was progressive successful acquiring nan funds.

“On time, nether fund — a mates of position that are beloved to my heart,” Simpson told nan crowd astatine nan ribbon-cutting. “I’ve been very proud to correspond nan INL and nan unthinkable labor that are retired here.”

Nuclear power is nan power of nan future, Simpson said, and its improvement astatine nan INL is “vitally important to nan world.”

Mike Goff, nan Department of Energy’s acting adjunct caput for atomic energy, says nan completion of nan Sample Preparation Laboratory “makes INL nan premier location for doing materials research.”

“It’s been decades since we’ve built a basking compartment successful nan U.S.,” Goff says. “It’s not easy to build 1 of these things and support it. It’s awesome to person this caller capacity here. This is simply a immense accomplishment.”

From left: Ron Crone, Associate Lab Director astatine nan Materials and Fuels Complex, John Wagner, INL Director, Rep. Mike Simpson and Mike Goff, DOE’s acting adjunct caput for atomic power | Courtesy INL