Metals that can heal themselves inside a nuclear reactor
APR 06, 2010
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.024220
NYTimes.com : Blas P. Uberuaga , Xian-Ming Bai, and colleagues at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico have shown that by altering the microstructure of metals, metallurgists may be able to make nuclear reactor parts that are self healing. Their conclusions are based on computer simulations of the long-term impact of neutron emissions on copper—not because much copper is used in nuclear plants, but because it is a relatively well-modeled metal.Cracks in the internal parts of reactors are a big concern both to the nuclear power plant operators (who want to keep maintenance costs low, and any repairs that require shutting the reactor down cost a lot of money), and to regulators (who want to make sure that radioactive material doesn’t leak into the environment). Related link Efficient annealing of radiation damage near grain boundaries via interstitial emission
© 2010 American Institute of Physics
