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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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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Inkjet droplets of radioactive material enable quick, precise testing at NIST
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have developed a technique called cryogenic decay energy spectrometry capable of detecting single radioactive decay events from tiny material samples and simultaneously identifying the atoms involved. In time, the technology could replace characterization tasks that have taken months and could support rapid, accurate radiopharmaceutical development and used nuclear fuel recycling, according to an article published on July 8 by NIST.
Keith F. Dufrane, Michael D. Naughton
Nuclear Technology | Volume 63 | Number 1 | October 1983 | Pages 102-109
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT83-A33306
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Cobalt-60 has been identified as the principal isotope responsible for the buildup of radiation in light water reactors. The 60Co is produced from stable cobalt being released to the coolant and becoming activated to 60Co during residence in the core. The release occurs because of the corrosion and wear of cobalt-containing alloys exposed to the coolant. This study was directed toward measuring the cobalt released by wear of cobalt-based alloys. Plastic replicas were made of worn components during maintenance outages. Subsequent profilometer measurements were made on the replicas using nearby unworn areas as reference surfaces to enable a calculation of the cobalt released by wear. The calculated release rates on a variety of seven components were estimated from 0.04 g/yr for a main coolant pump on a pressurized water reactor to 30 g/yr for a feedwater regulator valve on a boiling water reactor.