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.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Feb 2026
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
March 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
January 2026
Latest News
Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
A.G. Heics, W.T. Shmayda
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 21 | Number 2 | March 1992 | Pages 1030-1034
Material; Storage and Processing | doi.org/10.13182/FST92-A29887
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Zirconium cobalt (ZrCo) is being evaluated as an alternative to uranium for tritium storage. The pumping speed and pressure-composition-temperature isotherm profiles for the ZrCo hydrogen and tritium systems were measured to determine isotopic differences and the effect of He-3 induced aging on ZrCo performance. Hydrogen is pumped by ZrCo at a slightly faster rate than tritium under identical test conditions. The ZrCo/H2 system has a slightly lower equilibrium pressure compared to the ZrCo/T2 system at corresponding compositions. Aging ZrCo with tritium for 57 days appears to have no noticeable effect on the tritium pumping speed relative to virgin ZrCo.