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Division Spotlight
Materials Science & Technology
The objectives of MSTD are: promote the advancement of materials science in Nuclear Science Technology; support the multidisciplines which constitute it; encourage research by providing a forum for the presentation, exchange, and documentation of relevant information; promote the interaction and communication among its members; and recognize and reward its members for significant contributions to the field of materials science in nuclear technology.
Meeting Spotlight
2025 ANS Annual Conference
June 15–18, 2025
Chicago, IL|Chicago Marriott Downtown
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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Latest News
ANS announces 2025 Presidential Citations
One of the privileges of being president of the American Nuclear Society is awarding Presidential Citations to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding effort in some manner for the benefit of ANS or the nuclear community at large. Citations are conferred twice each year, at the Annual and Winter Meetings.
ANS President Lisa Marshall has named this season’s recipients, who will receive recognition at the upcoming Annual Conference in Chicago during the Special Session on Tuesday, June 17.
Chongchong Tang, Martin Steinbrueck, Mirco Grosse, Sven Ulrich, Michael Stueber, Hans Juergen Seifert (KIT)
Proceedings | 2018 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2018) | Charlotte, NC, April 8-11, 2018 | Pages 694-700
Alumina-forming MAX phase ternary carbides are being considered as protective coatings on zirconium alloys as accident tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding because of their resistivity against high-temperature steam oxidation during accident scenarios. This study attempted to synthesize three types of Al-containing MAX phase carbides (Ti?AlC, Cr?AlC and Zr?AlC) as coatings on Zircaloy-4 substrates via deposition of elemental nanoscale multilayer thin films using magnetron sputtering, and subsequent thermal annealing in argon. Formation of Ti?AlC and Cr?AlC MAX phases was confirmed after annealing at 800°C and 550°C, respectively, while growth of Zr(Al)C carbide rather than Zr?AlC MAX phase was observed in the Zr-C-Al system. Oxidation of the three coated samples at 1000°C in steam for 1 hour revealed no protective effect of the Ti?AlC and Zr(Al)C coatings with significant spallation and cracking. The Cr?AlC coatings possess superior oxidation resistance and self-healing capability with a thin and dense ?-Al?O? layer growth on the surface, which shows good promise as a candidate for coated ATF claddings.
