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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 Science and Engineering
February 2025
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?
G. A. Ratz
Nuclear Technology | Volume 17 | Number 2 | February 1973 | Pages 153-159
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT73-A31242
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The changes that occurred in composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties of a sample of welded AISI Type 304 stainless-steel pipe that had been exposed to liquid sodium for 21 000 h within the range 300 to 800°C have been determined. The results of the investigation showed that under the liquid-sodium service conditions studied, Type 304 steel pipe did not undergo any marked deleterious change in mechanical properties. The tensile strength of the exposed sample was above the minimum value specified by the ASTM for welded Type 304 steel pipe, whereas the yield strength was at the minimum value specified. The results of standard flattening tests on specimens from the exposed sample indicated that they could be flattened without cracking. However, a compositional change occurred on the inner surface of the pipe (the surface that had been exposed to the liquid sodium for 21 000 h). Nitrogen, sulfur, and sodium were absorbed, and a relatively brittle layer, ∼0.05 mm thick, was formed at the inner surface. Thus, when Type 304 steel is used for liquid-sodium service, sodium should be kept as free as possible of contaminants such as nitrogen and sulfur, in addition to oxygen.
