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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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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Latest News
Wright denies reports of DOE plans to axe Hanford’s WTP
Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued a statement on September 9 denying reports that the Department of Energy plans to terminate the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WTP) at the Hanford Site in Washington state.
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.