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Conference Spotlight
2025 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
November 9–12, 2025
Washington, DC|Washington Hilton
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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A webinar, and a new opportunity to take ANS’s CNP Exam
Applications are now open for the fall 2025 testing period for the American Nuclear Society’s Certified Nuclear Professional (CNP) exam. Applications are being accepted through October 14, and only three testing sessions are offered per year, so it is important to apply soon. The test will be administered from November 12 through December 16. To check eligibility and schedule your exam, click here.
In addition, taking place tomorrow (September 19) from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. (CDT), ANS will host a new webinar, “How to Become a Certified Nuclear Professional.” More information is available below in this article.
J. J. Hancke, G. T. Van Rooyen, J. P. R. De Villiers
Nuclear Technology | Volume 182 | Number 1 | April 2013 | Pages 49-56
Technical Paper | Fission Reactors/Fuel Cycle and Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT13-A15825
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The crushing strength (load at fracture) of coated particles was measured by compression between soft metal anvils. The method requires no sample preparation and can be used as a quality control method as well as a valuable tool for comparing different coating conditions during the manufacture of TRISO particles. Batches of coated particles manufactured with different coating parameters were prepared and tested. Batches prepared under different conditions exhibited significant differences in crushing strength. Higher argon concentrations in the coater gas mixture resulted in higher crushing strength. Anomalies in the crushing strength of particles are related to defects and possibly residual stresses produced during coating. The influence of annealing at 1950°C on crushing strength was also investigated. The average crushing strength of batches of particles decreased with annealing. Different preparation methods showed a marked difference in the level of deterioration of the particles with annealing. Batches produced with 80% argon gas mixture at 1300°C showed the greatest reduction in crushing strength. An inverse correlation was found between the crushing strength and the uranium that is leached from batches. The particles with the lowest crushing strength would also be more susceptible to mechanical damage during handling and consequently also to leaching of the uranium during leach tests.