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.
Division Spotlight
Decommissioning & Environmental Sciences
The mission of the Decommissioning and Environmental Sciences (DES) Division is to promote the development and use of those skills and technologies associated with the use of nuclear energy and the optimal management and stewardship of the environment, sustainable development, decommissioning, remediation, reutilization, and long-term surveillance and maintenance of nuclear-related installations, and sites. The target audience for this effort is the membership of the Division, the Society, and the public at large.
Meeting Spotlight
2027 ANS Winter Conference and Expo
October 31–November 4, 2027
Washington, DC|The Westin Washington, DC Downtown
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
Nov 2024
Jul 2024
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
December 2024
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
November 2024
Latest News
Disney World should have gone nuclear
There is extra significance to the American Nuclear Society holding its annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, this past week. That’s because in 1967, the state of Florida passed a law allowing Disney World to build a nuclear power plant.
W. P. Steckle, Jr., M. E. Smith, R. J. Sebring, A. Nobile, Jr.
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 45 | Number 2 | March 2004 | Pages 74-78
Technical Paper | Target Fabrication | doi.org/10.13182/FST04-A430
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
High Internal Phase Emulsion (HIPE) polystyrene foams have been made at LANL for the past decade. It is a robust system that offers flexibility in tailoring density and the incorporation of halogens and metals. As target designs become more complex the demands placed on the foams are more stringent. Parts are machined from 30 mg/cm3 foams to thicknesses of 50 m. At three percent of full density these foams are to withstand extraction with ethanol to remove the wax utilized as a machining aid and not allow shrinkage or warpage. In order to accomplish this the formulation of the HIPE foam had to be modified. Recently some new processing issues have arisen. At low densities voids have become a problem. To determine a formulation that reduces void content and allows minimum shrinkage, experimental design was utilized. We also developed image analysis techniques that allow us to quantify the amount of voids in the system. These techniques also allow us to evaluate the surface finish of the foam. In order to machine these low density foams to the tolerance required with an optimum surface finish the foams are backfilled with Brij 78, an alcohol soluble wax. After the part is machined, the Brij is leached out. Recent batches of Brij have exhibited high shrinkage, which in turn affects the surface finish of the foam.