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DOE selects first companies for nuclear launch pad
The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy and the National Reactor Innovation Center have announced their first selections for the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad: three companies developing microreactors and one developing fuel supply.
The four companies—Deployable Energy, General Matter, NuCube Energy, and Radiant Industries—were selected from the initial pool of Reactor Pilot Program and Fuel Line Pilot Program applicants, the two precursor programs to the launch pad.
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.
