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Division Spotlight
Materials Science & Technology
The objectives of MSTD are: promote the advancement of materials science in Nuclear Science Technology; support the multidisciplines which constitute it; encourage research by providing a forum for the presentation, exchange, and documentation of relevant information; promote the interaction and communication among its members; and recognize and reward its members for significant contributions to the field of materials science in nuclear technology.
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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Take steps on SNF and HLW disposal
Matt Bowen
With a new administration and Congress, it is time once again to ponder what will happen—if anything—on U.S. spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste management policy over the next few years. One element of the forthcoming discussion seems clear: The executive and legislative branches are eager to talk about recycling commercial SNF. Whatever the merits of doing so, it does not obviate the need for one or more facilities for disposal of remaining long-lived radionuclides. For that reason, making progress on U.S. disposal capabilities remains urgent, lest the associated radionuclide inventories simply be left for future generations to deal with.
In March, Rick Perry, who was secretary of energy during President Trump’s first administration, observed that during his tenure at the Department of Energy it became clear to him that any plan to move SNF “required some practical consent of the receiving state and local community.”1
Yuji Hatano, Toshio Maetani, Masayasu Sugisaki
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 28 | Number 3 | October 1995 | Pages 1182-1187
Tritium Properties and Interaction with Material | Proceedings of the Fifth Topical Meeting on Tritium Technology In Fission, Fusion, and Isotopic Applications Belgirate, Italy May 28-June 3, 1995 | doi.org/10.13182/FST95-A30569
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The surface barrier effect on tritium permeation through SUS-316 stainless steel was characterized with Auger electron spectroscopy for the surfaces which had been confirmed to have different barriers from our previous study. The surface which was prepared by heat treatment at 1273K for 1 hr in vacuum(10−4 Pa) was not contaminated with oxygen and carbon but covered uniformly with a large amount of sulfur. The surface exposed to air at room temperature after the vacuum annealing was covered with duplex oxide layers: the top layer consisted of iron oxide and the inner layer consisted of chromium, iron and nickel oxides. The iron oxide in the top layer was easily reduced with hydrogen gas at elevated temperatures but inner oxide layer was not completely reduced under the present conditions. These results were correlated to the surface barrier effect on tritium permeation based on our previous experimental results concerning the dissolution rate of gaseous tritium into stainless steel.
