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2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Breaking ground on a new approach to construction
The drive to Kairos Power’s reactor demonstration site in Oak Ridge, Tenn., is not only scenic—it’s historic. Nearly 85 years ago, roughly 30,000 construction workers transformed orchards and farmland into a key Manhattan Project site. Depending on your route, you may pass by one of the three gatehouses that were once military checkpoints controlling access to Atomic Energy Commission production facilities.
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.