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JANUARY 8, 2016
News Release

How Seashells Get Their Strength

Calcium carbonate found in chalk, shells and rocks is one of the most important materials on earth. New insights on how it turns into hard, strong materials will help scientists design materials needed for a low-carbon future.
NOVEMBER 1, 2015
Feature

New Watts Bar Reactor Gets Green Light for Operations

On October 22, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)​​​​​​​granted Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA's) Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station a 40-year operating license for its new Unit 2 reactor. This is the first nuclear reactor to be granted an operating license by the NRC in two decades.
OCTOBER 12, 2015
Feature

Corrosion Cracking: When Does it Really Start?

Pressurized water nuclear reactors in the United States generate about 13 percent of U.S. electricity. Though efficient, these reactors face a unique challenge with stress corrosion cracking (SCC). This type of corrosion is one of the primary life-limiting degradation mechanisms of nickel-base alloy pressure boundary components, such as instrumentation and control rod nozzles, the welds that attach these nozzles to the reactor vessel, and welds that connect feedwater piping to the reactor vessel. As interest grows in a more sustainable and efficient fleet of nuclear reactors across the world, there is increasing interest in characterizing SCC initiation response.

AUGUST 10, 2015
Director's Column

Tackling the Big Data Challenge

At the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, we are developing sophisticated mathematical techniques and software tools to securely manage and analyze vast amounts of data.