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Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
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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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AI at work: Southern Nuclear’s adoption of Copilot agents drives fleet forward
Southern Nuclear is leading the charge in artificial intelligence integration, with employee-developed applications driving efficiencies in maintenance, operations, safety, and performance.
The tools span all roles within the company, with thousands of documented uses throughout the fleet, including improved maintenance efficiency, risk awareness in maintenance activities, and better-informed decision-making. The data-intensive process of preparing for and executing maintenance operations is streamlined by leveraging AI to put the right information at the fingertips for maintenance leaders, planners, schedulers, engineers, and technicians.
Jerry L. Stakebake
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 78 | Number 4 | August 1981 | Pages 386-392
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE81-A21372
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Kinetics for the reaction of oxygen with plutonium hydride have been measured in oxygen at 1.33 kPa and over a temperature range of 90 to 360°C. The initial reaction takes place with a very low activation energy and is limited by the formation of a protective oxide film. The protective nature of the oxide film product is dependent on the temperature. Once the oxide film is formed, the oxidation reaction is a linear process controlled by oxygen diffusion. Measurements were conducted on hydrides prepared from pure plutonium as well as a plutonium/gallium alloy.
