American Elements produces a number of materials used in the processes and research associated with the production of electricity from nuclear energy. We meet the quality assurance/quality control standards of the U.S. NRC, the French NEA, and Canada’s CNSC.

American Elements supplies a full line of stable non-radioactive isotopes for basic research. Our research lead to the first nuclear getter material made with deuterium.

Question? Speak to an American Elements engineer at nuclear@americanelements.com

Innovation Case Study #9: American Elements Produces Gadolinium Nitrate Heavy Water for Reactor Maintenance

#9: American Elements Produces Gadolinium Nitrate Heavy Water for Reactor Maintenance


The Challenge

American Elements was approached by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) to help with a maintenance issue at its nuclear facilities. One phase in a typical nuclear reactor clean out program is the introduction of gadolinium in the form of gadolinium nitrate hexahydrate (GdNO3 x 6H2O) to act as a neutron “getter.” The issue was created by the hydrated portion of the material introducing water (H2O) into the deuterium (H3O) bath contaminating the reaction vessel.

The Innovation

After evaluating several options, American Elements researchers came up with a novel solution. We synthesized a previously non-existent compound—GdNO3 x 6H3O, a form of gadolinium nitrate in which the water of hydration was replaced with 5 molecules of deuterium.

The Result

This discovery utilizing American Elements heavy water material is now the standard operating procedure for many nuclear facilities saving significantly by allowing recharge without contamination.
Below is merely a selection of the full catalog of Nuclear Energy products that American Elements manufactures. If you do not see a material you're looking for listed, please search the website or contact customerservice@americanelements.com.

Selected Products Supplied to the Nuclear Energy Industry

(6N) 99.9999% Bismuth Metal Aluminum Boride Aluminum Boride Sputtering Target Aluminum Dodecaboride
Aluminum Silicon Sputtering Target Barium Fluoride Window Barium Sulfate Barium Sulfide
Beryllium Boron-10B Sputtering Target Beryllium Disc Bismuth Lead Alloy Bismuth Oxide Nanoparticle Dispersion
Bismuth Oxide Nanoparticles / Nanopowder Boralcan Boric 11 Acid Isotope Boric Acid 10-B
Boron Disc Boron Rod Boron-10 Carbide Isotope Boron-10 Carbide Sputtering Target
Boron-10 Isotope Boron-10 Isotope Sputtering Target Boron-10 Oxide Isotope Boron-10 Trifluoride Isotope
Boron-11 Carbide Isotope Boron-11 Isotope Boron-11 Isotope Sputtering Target Boron-11 Oxide Isotope
Boron-11 Trifluoride Isotope Cadmium Plate Cadmium Sheet Cadmium Zinc Alloy
Calcium Borohydride Cerium Oxide Powder Chromium Sputtering Target Cobalt Block
Cobalt Cube Cobalt Foil Cobalt Iron Silicon Alloy Cobalt Iron Silicon Foil
Cobalt Iron Silicon Sputtering Target Cobalt Nanoparticle Dispersion Cobalt Nanoparticles Cobalt Nickel Alloy
Cobalt Sputtering Target Copper Oxide Nanoparticles / Nanopowder Copper Powder Copper Sputtering Target
Diiron Boride Diiron Boride Sputtering Target Dysprosium Titanate Erbium Oxide Powder
Gadolinium Block Gadolinium Cube Gadolinium Foil Gadolinium Nitrate Hexahydrate
Gadolinium Nitrate Pentahydrate Gadolinium Nitrate Solution Gadolinium Oxide Nanoparticle Dispersion Gadolinium Oxide Nanoparticles / Nanopowder
Germanium Powder Gold Foil Gold Wire Graphite Foil
Graphite, Natural Flake Hafnium Bars Hafnium Carbide Granules Hafnium Foil
Holmium(III) Hydroxide Inconel 718 Alloy Inconel 718 Alloy Nanoparticles / Nanopowder Iron Nanoparticle Dispersion
Iron Nanoparticles Iron Rhodium Alloy Iron Rhodium Alloy Sputtering Target Iron Sputtering Target
Lanthanum Strontium Chromite Lithium Blocks Lithium Foil Lithium Titanate, Spinel Nanoparticles / Nanopowder
Lithium-6 Hydroxide Monohydrate Lithium-7 Hydroxide Monohydrate Lutetium Ingot Magnesium Foil
Magnesium Sulfate Hydrate Manganese Disc Molybdenum Boats Molybdenum Furnace Components
Molybdenum Oxide Powder Molybdenum Tube Neodymium Hydroxide Nickel Chromium Iron Molybdenum Alloy
Nickel Crucibles Nickel Foam Nickel Mesh Nickel Nanoparticle Dispersion
Nickel Nanoparticles Nickel Pieces Nickel Sputtering Target Niobium Blocks
Niobium Coil Niobium Foil Niobium Sputtering Target Niobium Wire
Palladium Sputtering Target Palladium Tube Phosphor Bronze Phosphor Bronze Powder
Rhenium Blocks Rhenium Cubes Rhenium Foil Samarium Blocks
Samarium Cubes Samarium Foil Samarium Rod Silver Blocks
Silver Cubes Silver Foil Sodium Tungsten Oxide Dihydrate Strontium Dendritic Pieces
Strontium Pieces Tantalum Blocks Tantalum Carbide Granules Tantalum Carbide TaC
Tantalum Crucibles Tantalum Cubes Tantalum Foil Tantalum Pellets
Tantalum Plate Tantalum Tube Tellurium Oxide Powder Tellurium Tetrachloride
Terbium Blocks Terbium Cubes Terbium Foil Terbium Oxide Powder
Thulium Wire Tin Sputtering Target Titanium Sputtering Target Tungsten Blocks
Tungsten Carbide Nanoparticles Tungsten Foil Vanadium Pieces Vanadium Rod
Vanadium Sheet Vanadium Sputtering Target Ytterbium Blocks Ytterbium Cubes
Ytterbium Foil Ytterbium Lutetium Alloy Ytterbium Oxide Powder Yttrium Powder
Zinc Wire Zinc-64 Oxide Isotope Zirconium Carbide Zirconium Carbide Granules
Zirconium Carbide Sputtering Target Zirconium Carbide Tile Zirconium Carbonitride Zirconium Nitride
Zirconium Nitride Nanoparticles / Nanopowder Zirconium Pellets Zirconium Powder Zirconium Sputtering Target
Zirconium-Tin Alloy (Zircaloy-4) Zirconyl Nitrate