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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy
The mission of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy Division (NNPD) is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology while simultaneously preventing the diversion and misuse of nuclear material and technology through appropriate safeguards and security, and promotion of nuclear nonproliferation policies. To achieve this mission, the objectives of the NNPD are to: Promote policy that discourages the proliferation of nuclear technology and material to inappropriate entities. Provide information to ANS members, the technical community at large, opinion leaders, and decision makers to improve their understanding of nuclear nonproliferation issues. Become a recognized technical resource on nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards, and security issues. Serve as the integration and coordination body for nuclear nonproliferation activities for the ANS. Work cooperatively with other ANS divisions to achieve these objective nonproliferation policies.
Meeting Spotlight
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
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!
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NRC engineers share their expertise at the University of Puerto Rico
Robert Roche-Rivera and Marcos Rolón-Acevedo are licensed professional engineers who work at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. They are also alumni of the University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez (UPRM) and have been sharing their knowledge and experience with students at their alma mater since last year, serving as adjunct professors in the university’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. During the 2023–2024 school year, they each taught two courses: Fundamentals of Nuclear Science and Engineering, and Nuclear Power Plant Engineering.
Motomasa Fuse, Makoto Nagase, Naoshi Usui, Yoshiteru Sato, Motohiro Aizawa, Tsuyoshi Ito, Hideyuki Hosokawa, Yoichi Wada, Kazushige Ishida
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 181 | Number 2 | October 2015 | Pages 175-190
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE14-101
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
While under normal water chemistry without any specific metal ions in reactor coolant a high electrochemical corrosion potential caused by highly oxidizing species such as hydrogen peroxide promotes the formation of hematite film on piping surfaces with a densely packed film structure, the presence of a certain amount of nickel ions prevents the magnetite film from changing to hematite by forming a nickel ferrite. This formation of nickel ferrite instead of hematite accelerates cobalt buildup, and this is especially notable for carbon steel. The observed reduction of radioactivity concentration in reactor water by zinc injection or by nickel/iron ratio control can be explained by the role of zinc or nickel in preventing the film on the fuel rod surfaces from changing to hematite, thereby stabilizing the cobalt activity on this surface. A thermodynamic evaluation suggests that zinc ferrite is more stable than cobalt ferrite only when the ratio of cobalt to zinc divalent ions, [Co2+]/[Zn2+], is <0.011 in molar units. This ratio is consistent with the ratio of 60Co activity to zinc concentration commonly used in industry to control reactor water zinc levels for a dose rate reduction under the hydrogen water chemistry condition. Based on the present understanding of radioactivity behaviors, the actual radiation dose reduction methods are classified into the several groups and summarized from the viewpoint of the interaction between the oxide and various metal ions.