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NRC unveils Part 53 final rule
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has finalized its new regulatory framework for advanced reactors that officials believe will accelerate, simplify, and reduce burdens in the new reactor licensing process.
The final rule arrives more than a year ahead of an end-of-2027 deadline set in the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA), the 2019 law that formally directed the NRC to develop a new, technology-inclusive regulatory approach. The resulting rule—10 CFR Part 53, “Risk-Informed, Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for Advanced Reactors”—is commonly referred to as Part 53.
Rafael Isayev, Natalia Pukhareva, Evgeniy Malinovskiy, Egor Korenevski, Pavel Dzhumaev
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 199 | Number 4 | April 2025 | Pages 531-549
Review Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2024.2383110
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The compatibility of structural materials with lead and lead-bismuth eutectic is a significant challenge in the development of fast neutron reactors with heavy-liquid-metal coolants. Liquid-metal corrosion negatively affects ferritic-martensitic steel EP823-Sh. The mechanism of liquid-metal corrosion of steels corresponds to physicochemical dissolution when the oxygen content in lead is less than the equilibrium value. The selective dissolution of steel components from the surface of the claddings is observed. When the oxygen concentration exceeds the equilibrium value, the corrosion products are the outer oxide layer of magnetite and the chromium spinel of nonstoichiometric composition such as Fe(Fe1-x,Crx)2O4, as well as the development of an internal oxidation zone along the grain boundaries, which also can be observed. The pure-lead heat transfer sublayer between the fuel and the cladding causes the dissolution and deposition of steel components on the inner surface of the cladding. To increase corrosion resistance, it is proposed to modify the surface using plasma and laser processing, as well as by applying protective coatings.