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 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jun 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2026
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
May 2026
Latest News
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.
John A. De Mastry, Frederic R. Shober, Ronald F. Dickerson
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 9 | Number 3 | March 1961 | Pages 299-304
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE61-A25880
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An alloy containing niobioum-20 w/o uranium has been developed for reactor fuel applications. The fabrication characteristics, mechanical properties, and corrosion behavior in air, CO2, NaK, water, and steam were studied. After consumable arc melting, the alloy was successfully forged at 1370°C (2500°F) and rolled at 980°C (1800°F) to sheet. Representative specimens of this alloy showed onlv slight reductions in hardness up to 900°C (1650°F). The 0.2% offset yield strength was 93,000 psi at 24°C (75°F) and 71,000 psi at 870°C (1600°F). At a stress of 63,000 psi at 870°C (1600°F), 200 hr were required to cause rupture. The corrosion life of niobium-20 w/o uranium was superior to that of unalloyed niobium in 300°C (572°F) air and in CO2 at 316°C (600°F). In 1000 hr of exposure to 316°C (600°F) water, this alloy exhibited corrosion rates only two or three (0.003 mg/cm2/hr) times greater than that of Zircaloy-2 (0.001 mg/cm2/hr). This alloy appears to be compatible with NaK at 870°C (1600°F.)