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.
Dale T. Peters, Konrad J. A. Kundig, David F. Medley, Paul A. Enders
Nuclear Technology | Volume 104 | Number 2 | November 1993 | Pages 219-232
Technical Paper | Special Issue on Waste Management / Radioactive Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT93-A34885
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Copper and aluminum bronze have been shown to exhibit a high degree of kinetic stability in anticipated repository environments, including mildly oxidizing conditions under high gamma fields. The nature of the thermodynamic and kinetic stability of the metals is discussed. It is proposed that a robust, composite waste container composed of a copper mantle surrounding an inner shell of high-strength aluminum bronze would make the best use of the corrosion- and creep-related properties of the metals. Several designs and closure techniques are suggested. A bimetallic, centrifugally cast cylinder with a diameter and wall thickness appropriate to a high-level waste burial container has been produced. The advantages of the bimetallic casting are discussed, as are the potential multifunctional applications of composite containers of this type. Suggestions for future work are proposed. Creation of an“engineered analog” is suggested as an additional redundant safeguard in the proposed repository.