Aluminum used in nuclear reactors and other harsh environments may last longer with new treatment
Wednesday, March 2, 2016 - 07:50
in Physics & Chemistry
One of the main reasons for limiting the operating lifetimes of nuclear reactors is that metals exposed to the strong radiation environment near the reactor core become porous and brittle, which can lead to cracking and failure. Now, a team of researchers at MIT and elsewhere has found that, at least in some reactors, adding a tiny quantity of carbon nanotubes to the metal can dramatically slow this breakdown process.