Nuclear power plant chemistry requires chemical products of the highest quality and stability. The alternative simply is not acceptable.

With this in mind, Ceradyne Boron Products has provided the global commercial nuclear power industry with high purity stable isotopes for more than 30 years. Our ¹⁰Boron isotope is a strong neutron absorber used for both nuclear waste containment and nuclear power plant neutron radiation control. Our enriched ¹⁰Boron materials include products for:

• Criticality control
• Emergency shutdown
• Reaction moderation
• Fuel manufacturing

Our nuclear power products include:

• 7-Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate
  • Pressurized water reactors use lithium hydroxide to neutralize the acidity created by the addition of boric acid to primary coolant solutions. Enriched lithium is offered by Boron Products in lithium hydroxide monohydrate form and the enrichment level is greater than 99.9 wt% 7Li.
  • Enriched Boric Acid
    • Enriched boric acid is a precursor for most of the other boron containing chemicals used in nuclear power plant water chemistry control. Enriched in either the 10B or 11B isotope to very high levels, Ceradyne’s boric acid exceeds accepted standards of the nuclear industry throughout the world.
    • Enriched Sodium Pentaborate
      • Ceradyne Boron Products developed enriched sodium pentaborate to meet the changing needs of boiling water reactors. Sodium pentaborate is used in standby liquid control systems, which are designed to flood the reactor core with a 10B solution in case of an emergency.

History & Capacity

Our facility in Quapaw, Oklahoma, in operation since 1977, is the world’s largest boron isotope separation facility. These products serve the nuclear power and fuel, radiation waste containment, scientific, medical, and semiconductor industries, as well as the Federal government and Department of Defense.

With superior products and the largest boron isotope enrichment facility in the world, Ceradyne continues to be the leading manufacturer of nuclear chemistries.

To learn more, see our Nuclear Power Plan Chemistry page.