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Division Spotlight
Education, Training & Workforce Development
The Education, Training & Workforce Development Division provides communication among the academic, industrial, and governmental communities through the exchange of views and information on matters related to education, training and workforce development in nuclear and radiological science, engineering, and technology. Industry leaders, education and training professionals, and interested students work together through Society-sponsored meetings and publications, to enrich their professional development, to educate the general public, and to advance nuclear and radiological science and engineering.
Meeting Spotlight
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
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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Nuclear Technology
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Latest News
Reboot: Nuclear needs a success . . . anywhere
The media have gleefully resurrected the language of a past nuclear renaissance. Beyond the hype and PR, many people in the nuclear community are taking a more measured view of conditions that could lead to new construction: data center demand, the proliferation of new reactor designs and start-ups, and the sudden ascendance of nuclear energy as the power source everyone wants—or wants to talk about.
Once built, large nuclear reactors can provide clean power for at least 80 years—outlasting 10 to 20 presidential administrations. Smaller reactors can provide heat and power outputs tailored to an end user’s needs. With all the new attention, are we any closer to getting past persistent supply chain and workforce issues and building these new plants? And what will the election of Donald Trump to a second term as president mean for nuclear?
As usual, there are more questions than answers, and most come down to money. Several developers are engaging with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or have already applied for a license, certification, or permit. But designs without paying customers won’t get built. So where are the customers, and what will it take for them to commit?
M. W. Mahoney, N. E. Paton
Nuclear Technology | Volume 23 | Number 3 | September 1974 | Pages 290-297
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT74-A15921
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Fatigue crack growth rates of Types 316 and 321 stainless steel were studied as a function of stress intensity, temperature, relative humidity, and gas environment. At 25°C it was shown that humidity in the presence of oxygen will accelerate crack growth rates by a factor of ∼1.7, as compared to an inert environment such as dry nitrogen or argon. In addition, a threshold level is implied for the effect of humidity above which further increases in moisture content have no additional influence on crack growth rates. At 649°C an air environment was found to increase crack growth rates by factors of ∼22 and ∼5 for Types 316 and 321 stainless steel, respectively, over rates determined in either argon or nitrogen. Crack growth rates in nitrogen and argon at 649°C were comparable to crack growth rates at 25°C, leading to the conclusion that increased growth rates observed at 649°C in air are principally a result of environmental interactions with the crack front rather than a result of reduced mechanical properties at 649°C. These results also show that Type 321 stainless steel is less susceptible than Type 316 to aggressive environments at 649°C such as room air, suggesting that Type 321 might be a better choice of material for some elevated temperature applications. Fractography of specimens tested at 649°C revealed the absence of striation formation for specimens tested in inert environments, while pronounced striations were found in environments such as air.