Research reactors

The primary purpose of research reactors is to provide a source of neutrons; sub-atomic particles produced when uranium atoms are split.

Nuclear research reactors do not generate electricity, are a fraction of the size of power reactors and are often not, as their names implies, used only for research purposes. They tend to be highly versatile, multi-use neutron producers.

They can be used, as in the case at ANSTO, to investigate properties of a wide range of materials, to irradiate silicon ingots for use in very high quality semi-conductors and to make industrial radioisotopes and many of the radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine centres throughout Australasia and the near-Asia-Pacific region.

For more information, see: Nuclear Research Reactors in the World.

Australian experience

For most of its operating life, ANSTO's recently shut down High Flux Australian Reactor (HIFAR) used uranium-235 enriched to 60 per cent. This was eventually cut to less than 20 per cent, an amount regarded as having no value for illegal uses.

ANSTO's - and Australia's - newest research reactor, OPAL, first went critical, or achieved its first controlled nuclear chain reaction, on 12 August 2006. It became the third research reactor to operate at Lucas Heights and cost $400 million to build, including a neutron beam instrument facility.

The first, HIFAR, was officially opened on Australia Day, 26 January 1958. Built at an initial cost of $2.9 million, it provided the greater part of Australia's nuclear-based needs for just short of 50 years. It was shut down permanently on 30 January 2007. The very small Moata reactor cost $150,000 and operated for just over 37 years, mainly for materials research. It went critical for the first time on 1 April 1961 and was shut down permanently in 1995.