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.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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
Jul 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2025
Nuclear Technology
August 2025
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.
A. E. Pickett, W. L. Pearl, M. C. Rowland
Nuclear Technology | Volume 1 | Number 5 | October 1965 | Pages 453-461
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NT65-A20557
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Nonsensitized Type-304 stainless-steel fuel cladding cracked intergranularly when exposed to high-temperature, high-purity, water reactor environments. Similar failures were produced out of reactor in stressed tubular-capsule specimens exposed to dilute solutions of iron chloride, copper chloride, sodium hydroxide, and chromic acid at 650° F (343°C). An iron chloride test was developed that closely simulates the intergranular attack on stressed nonsensitized Type-304 stainless-steel fuel cladding. Stressed, cold-worked, nonsensitized Type-304 stainless-steel tubing cracked in less than 24 h at 650° F when exposed to ferric-ferrous chloride solutions containing only 40 Cl parts/106 and 4 soluble-iron parts/106. Exposure at 650° F caused intergranular cracking only, while exposure at 550° F (288° C) caused mixed transgranular and intergranular cracking. The accelerated autoclave test can be used for screening of prospective cladding materials and alloy modifications and developing a better understanding of the mechanism of attack.