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Division Spotlight
Young Members Group
The Young Members Group works to encourage and enable all young professional members to be actively involved in the efforts and endeavors of the Society at all levels (Professional Divisions, ANS Governance, Local Sections, etc.) as they transition from the role of a student to the role of a professional. It sponsors non-technical workshops and meetings that provide professional development and networking opportunities for young professionals, collaborates with other Divisions and Groups in developing technical and non-technical content for topical and national meetings, encourages its members to participate in the activities of the Groups and Divisions that are closely related to their professional interests as well as in their local sections, introduces young members to the rules and governance structure of the Society, and nominates young professionals for awards and leadership opportunities available to members.
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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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?
William L. MacCready, John A. Wethington, Jr., Fred J. Hurst
Nuclear Technology | Volume 53 | Number 3 | June 1981 | Pages 344-353
Technical Paper | Nuclear Fuel Cycle Education Module / Education | doi.org/10.13182/NT81-A32643
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Domestic phosphate reserves have been estimated to contain more than 600 000 tons of uranium at an average U3O8 concentration of ∼0.015%. Research in the 1940s showed that this uranium could be extracted as a by-product of wet-process phosphoric acid production, but the low price of uranium at that time prevented the formation of a viable industry. Research on process improvement was continued by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and by the Bureau of Mines during the 1960s and 1970s, and in 1974 and 1975, the increase in the price of uranium caused many phosphate producers to reexamine uranium recovery. Several companies entered the business, and by 1981, commercial plants will be recovering about 4.5 million pounds of U3O8 per year. Uranium extraction from phosphoric acid is an example of natural resource conservation: if the uranium is not extracted, it is forever lost from the economy. A side benefit is that the concentrations of radioactivity in fertilizers are lowered significantly.
