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
Radiation Protection & Shielding
The Radiation Protection and Shielding Division is developing and promoting radiation protection and shielding aspects of nuclear science and technology — including interaction of nuclear radiation with materials and biological systems, instruments and techniques for the measurement of nuclear radiation fields, and radiation shield design and evaluation.
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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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?
W. N. Rankin, J. A. Kelley
Nuclear Technology | Volume 41 | Number 3 | December 1978 | Pages 373-380
Technical Paper | Radioactive Waste | doi.org/10.13182/NT78-A32121
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Metal oxide precipitates (primarily iron oxide compounds) will form in the glass matrix of some compositions of vitrified nuclear waste, during cooling of the melt, whenever solubility limits are exceeded. These precipitates, containing part of the cesium and strontium radionuclides from the waste, are more resistant to leaching by water than the as-cast glass matrix. Some of the glass matrix compositions devitrify during heating for 1 month at 600°C with the formation of equal amounts of NaAlSiO4 (nepheline or carnegieite) and (Ca, Mn) (Mg, Fe, Mn) Si2O6, plus a small amount of Ca4Fe14O25. The leachability of devitrified glass can be up to 100 times greater than the leachability of as-cast glass. The appearance and structure of the metal oxide precipitates are unaffected by the temperature conditions that caused devitrification of the glass matrix. The metal oxide precipitate particles are less leachable in water than any of the phases in the devitrified matrix.
