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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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.
J. Zhang, R. Kapernick, T. F. Marcille
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 160 | Number 1 | September 2008 | Pages 75-97
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE160-75
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Corrosion of the primary coolant structural materials in a nuclear power system is a potential concern when liquid metal is used as the coolant. For the current space reactor design, liquid sodium-potassium eutectic (NaK) has been selected as a candidate for the primary coolant and stainless steel as the structural material, so whether or not corrosion is a problem for this system must be determined. This paper documents a first step to understanding the extent of corrosion in the selected candidate design. Data available in the literature have been compiled and are analyzed, factors affecting corrosion are assessed, and a theoretical basis of the corrosion mechanisms by liquid metals is presented. This study provides some useful information for the design of NaK coolant systems and some recommendations for what additional experimental and theoretical work is needed to understand the corrosion mechanisms and limitations of using NaK as a primary coolant.