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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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.
H. E. Khalifa, C. P. Deck, K. C. Chen, C. A. Back
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 61 | Number 1 | January 2012 | Pages 375-380
Materials | Proceedings of the Fifteenth International Conference on Emerging Nuclear Energy Systems | doi.org/10.13182/FST12-A13448
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Chemical vapor infiltrated (CVI) silicon carbide fiber reinforced-silicon carbide matrix (SiC-SiC) composite is a relatively new material and has come under increased scrutiny as an attractive material for nuclear applications. In these materials, the interplay between fiber and matrix leads to enhanced fracture toughness. However, due to the inherent directionality of the fibers, under-standing the mechanical and thermal performance is complex and requires careful characterization. At General Atomics, a laboratory has been established to develop these materials for a range of applications, in particular for the Energy Multiplier Module (EM2), which is a gas-cooled fast reactor.In this paper, the program of work that is being undertaken to fabricate and characterize SiC matrix com-posites is discussed. For mechanical testing, specialized fixtures have been developed to hold the thin ceramic composite specimens. For thermal testing, the purge gas species and flow rate have been identified as important parameters. Initial results on planar samples have been performed on SiC-SiC samples and hot pressed SiC samples.