ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2025
Nuclear Technology
August 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
The RAIN scale: A good intention that falls short
Radiation protection specialists agree that clear communication of radiation risks remains a vexing challenge that cannot be solved solely by finding new ways to convey technical information.
Earlier this year, an article in Nuclear News described a new radiation risk communication tool, known as the Radiation Index, or, RAIN (“Let it RAIN: A new approach to radiation communication,” NN, Jan. 2025, p. 36). The authors of the article created the RAIN scale to improve radiation risk communication to the general public who are not well-versed in important aspects of radiation exposures, including radiation dose quantities, units, and values; associated health consequences; and the benefits derived from radiation exposures.
T. Kanazawa, M. Nishikawa, H. Yamasaki, K. Katayama, H. Kashimura, T. Hanada, S. Fukada
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 60 | Number 3 | October 2011 | Pages 1167-1170
Blanket and Breeder Materials | Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Tritium Science and Technology | doi.org/10.13182/FST11-A12623
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The present authors have developed the tritium release model to represent the tritium release behavior from solid breeder materials (Li2ZrO3, Li2TiO3, Li4SiO4, LiAlO2 and Li2O). It has been found that water is released from solid breeder materials into the purge gas due to desorption of physically and chemically adsorbed water and water generation reaction and that this water affects the tritium release behavior. In this study, the amount of adsorbed water and its desorption rate for Li2ZrO3 were quantified. It was found in this experiment that Li2ZrO3 has the largest adsorption amount among the solid breeder candidates. It was also observed that Li2ZrO3 has the largest water generation capacity among the solid breeder candidates. A unique reaction at around 550°C which made up approximately 80% of the capacity of water generation was also observed. It is considered that the phase change of ZrO2 at around 550°C supplies oxygen to promote water generation reaction. Tritium release behavior from Li2ZrO3 blanket was estimated using the properties obtained in this study under the operational condition of ITER or a commercial reactor.