Some Corrosion Issues in Nuclear Engineering

The nuclear domain has been part of corrosion since the 1950s. Before the discovery of nuclear fission in the late 1930s, uranium was an obscure element with few uses. Several attempts have been made to create a fusion reactor capable of producing power economically, but so far no fusion process is self-sustaining. A major issue with fusion power is transfer of heat from the plasma to generate electricity. Existing corrosion issues in nuclear reactors relate to systems employing rarer metals in unusual environments that are required to sustain and control fission of the ²³⁵U content of uranium and to arrangements that deliver the heat of fission to generate electrical power. Small nuclear fission reactors are used in propulsion of naval vessels, usually submarines. One of the more challenging subjects in nuclear engineering is the treatment of spent material and redundant equipment after operation has ceased. Nuclear materials such as highly enriched uranium are under the jurisdiction of international nonproliferation treaties.