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 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Mar 2026
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
March 2026
Nuclear Technology
February 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
April 2026
Latest News
NRC approves TerraPower construction permit
Today, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced that it has approved TerraPower’s construction permit application for Kemmerer Unit 1, the company’s first deployment of Natrium, its flagship sodium fast reactor.
This approval is a significant milestone on three fronts. For TerraPower, it represents another step forward in demonstrating its technology. For the Department of Energy, it reflects progress (despite delays) for the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP). For the NRC, it is the first approval granted to a commercial reactor in nearly a decade—and the first approval of a commercial non–light water reactor in more than 40 years.
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.