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Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
First astatine-labeled compound shipped in the U.S.
The Department of Energy’s National Isotope Development Center (NIDC) on March 31 announced the successful long-distance shipment in the United States of a biologically active compound labeled with the medical radioisotope astatine-211 (At-211). Because previous shipments have included only the “bare” isotope, the NIDC has described the development as “unleashing medical innovation.”
E. R. Gilbert, R. P. Allen, D. L. Baldwin, R. D. Bell, J. L. Brimhall, R. G. Clemmer, S. C. Marschman, M. A. McKinnon, R. E. Page, H. G. Powers, S. G. Chalk
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 21 | Number 2 | March 1992 | Pages 739-744
Material Properties | doi.org/10.13182/FST92-A29836
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
To verify the performance of permeation-resistant cladding for tritium targets designed for a New Production Reactor Light-Water Reactor, a tritium test facility was designed, developed, fabricated, and certified. Testing is ongoing to verify the performance of reference-designed targets. Accurate measurements were taken of tritium permeating from barrier-coated cladding specimens immersed in high-temperature autoclaves configured to simulate reactor coolant conditions. The tritium test pressure is controlled by heating a zirconium-alloy getter, previously charged with tritium, to a temperature that corresponds to a specified test pressure. The apparatus for testing deuterium permeation was developed to calibrate nondestructive testing procedures for evaluating barrier quality and to screen defective industrial cladding. These permeation testing facilities perform parametric tests to evaluate the sensitivity of permeation to temperature, time, pressure, fabrication variables, barrier disparities, corrosion, and other factors. The experimental activities characterize the performance and material properties of target rod components as well as validate new nondestructive examination methods that measure target rod quality. The target rod components are 1) barrier-coated stainless steel cladding, 2) lithium aluminate pellets, 3) nickel-plated Zircaloy-4 getters, and 4) zirconium liners. In addition, data generated from statistical testing provide increased confidence in current analytical models that predict target rod performance during both steady state and calculated transient conditions. The test results indicate that the tritium release from a full core of NPR-LWR targets will satisfy design requirements for release of no more than 20,000 Ci of tritium to the reactor coolant, even with four failed target rods that release up to 50% of their inventory.