Scientists Create Nuclear Battery From Radioactive Waste

Researchers at Ohio State University have proposed a promising method for disposing of radioactive waste that could solve two problems at once: the safe handling of hazardous materials and the creation of long-lasting power sources.

Image source: Optical Materials: X 2025

Today, radioactive waste is stored in special conditions, which requires significant costs and complex infrastructure. However, such waste can serve as a source of energy for autonomous systems.

It is known that when gamma radiation interacts with certain materials, the phenomenon of scintillation occurs – spontaneous luminescence. High-energy photons excite electrons in atoms, transferring them to an excited state. Returning to their original state, electrons emit photons that can be converted into electric current using photovoltaic cells.

Scientists have proposed using radioactive waste as a source of gamma radiation. It is also possible to capture “wild” gamma radiation from operating nuclear reactors, for example, at nuclear power plants. The key task is to develop an effective battery that combines a scintillator substance and a photovoltaic cell. Researchers from Ohio have created such a prototype.

The 4 cm³ prototype contained scintillator crystals and a photocell based on a tellurium-cadmium Schottky diode (CdTe). The gamma radiation source was cesium-137 or cobalt-60 isotopes, common components of radioactive waste.

Tests at the Ohio State University Nuclear Reactor Laboratory showed promising results. A battery based on cesium-137 produced 0.288 µW, and with the more powerful cobalt-60, up to 1.5 µW, enough to power miniature sensors.

This technology opens up new possibilities for processing nuclear waste, turning it from a problem into a source of energy. “We take what is usually considered waste and turn it into value,” the developers note.

However, scientists admit that the technology is still far from mass implementation. The main difficulties are related to scaling production and increasing the output power of batteries. Nevertheless, research continues, and in the future, such devices may become an important step in the development of autonomous energy systems.