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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.
D.J. Senor, D.J. Trimble, G.E. Youngblood, G.A. Newsome, J.L. Brimhall, J.J. Woods
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 30 | Number 3 | December 1996 | Pages 956-968
Fusion Materials | doi.org/10.13182/FST96-A11963061
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A variety of SiC-Based fibers were characterized by measuring their length, density, and tensile strength in the unirradiated, thermal annealed, and irradiated conditions. The irradiation was conducted in the EBR-II to a dose of 43 dpa-SiC (185 EFPD) at a nominal irradiation temperature of 1000°C. The annealed specimens were held at 1010°C for 165 days to approximately duplicate the thermal exposure of the irradiated specimens. In general, the results of this study indicate the fibers that perform best in an irradiation environment are those that approach stoichiometric and crystalline SiC. Hi-Nicalon exhibited negligible densification, accompanied by an increase in tensile strength after irradiation. Nicalon CG possessed a higher tensile strength than Hi-Nicalon in the unirradiated condition, but was significantly weakened in the annealed and irradiated conditions. In addition, Nicalon CG exhibited unacceptable irradiation-induced shrinkage. While the irradiation stability of Hi-Nicalon was promising, other fibers with compositions closer to stoichiometric SiC may perform even better. This potential was suggested by the MER99 fiber, which displayed excellent dimensional stability. The principal drawback for the fully crystalline and stoichiometric fibers such as MER99 and Crystalline SiC is their low strength and flexibility caused by high flaw concentrations.
