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
August 2026
Nuclear Technology
July 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Launching into tomorrow: NRIC guides new era of research and deployment
In June 2025, the Department of Energy announced the Reactor Pilot Program, an authorization pathway that allowed reactor developers to partner with the DOE to get first-of-a-kind (FOAK) reactors built and tested. Soon after, the DOE rolled out a complementary Fuel Line Pilot Program, which aimed to fast-track fuel projects. In all, 20 projects were accepted into the new programs.
J. Chin, T. Ohkawa
Nuclear Technology | Volume 32 | Number 2 | February 1977 | Pages 115-124
Technical Paper | Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT77-A31717
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The feasibility of in situ regeneration of a deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reactor first wall is explored. Chemical and physical vapor deposition processes are considered for applying low-Z materials and metals. Trial deposits of carbon, SiC, Si3N4, and (Si, Al)N were prepared by one or both of these fabrication techniques. Material properties such as chemical composition, impurity concentration, morphology, and crystal structure thought to be important in first wall performance were found to be controllable by the vapor deposition process conditions. Chemical composition of the gas mixtures, substrate temperature, and deposition pressures were parameters that influenced material properties in all vapor deposition processes. These parameters may be expected to be controllable in a D-T fusion reactor chamber. Temperature can be adjusted within the plasma zone by a glow discharge. The chemical composition of the reactant gases can be controllable by an auxiliary gas supply and exhaust systems. Gas pressure control within the reactor is a required feature of any fusion reactor system. In situ regeneration of the fusion first wall by vapor deposition processes thus appears feasible.