Radiation-Chemical Behavior of TBP in Hydrocarbon and Chlorohydrocarbon Diluents under Conditions of Reprocessing of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Plants

Experiments were performed for comparative assessment of the effect of ionizing radiation on the service characteristics of 30% TBP solutions in various diluents: hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD), mixtures of n-paraffins (RED diluent), and fraction of naphthenic hydrocarbons (RZh diluent). The following main parameters were chosen for comparative assessment of the quality of irradiated extractant solutions: composition and behavior of diluent radiolysis products, effect of diluents on the TBP radiolysis, and aggregative stability of emulsions in the main operations of the extraction cycle. The service life of the extraction mixtures was estimated from variation of the above parameters with the irradiation dose. Principles for choosing solvents with increased service life under irradiation were substantiated.     

An Inductive Pulse Power-Amplifying Stage with Electric-Explosion Circuit Switching

An inductive power-amplifier stage based on a two-coil assembly and two electrically exploded conductors used as circuit breakers is described. Owing to the magnetic flux conservation, the interruption of the current in the first of the storage coils causes an increase of the current in the second coil, which results in a rapid thermal burst of the second electrically exploded conductor. As a result, the load-current rise-time is 20 times less than the charging-current rise time and the amplitude of the current increases.     

Motion of vortices in thin superconducting strips

We study analytically and numerically the interaction of vortices in current-carrying narrow superconducting strips. The characteristic time of vortex-antivortex pair annihilation and the energetic losses in the strip are evaluated as a function of the external transport current and width of the strip. The effects of an external magnetic field on the motion of a single vortex are discussed.     

Effect of the size of martensite laths and carbide particles on the “brittle” strength of low-carbon martensitic steels

Results of experimental and theoretical studies of the effect of the size of martensite laths and carbide particles on the value of the minimum stress of brittle fracture (brittle strength) of steel 12KhN3MFA subjected to uniaxial extension are presented. The critical proportion of the sizes of carbide particles and martensite laths is determined at which the microstructural component that controls the level of the brittle strength changes. Quantitative dependences for predicting the effect of the nonuniformity of the grain structure on the brittle strength of martensitic steels are obtained. Parameters of the microstructure, which make it possible to raise the brittle strength of low-carbon martensitic steels, are determined and the efficiency of rapid heat treatment for creating such structural states is demonstrated.     

Corrosion fatigue of extruded magnesium alloys

Corrosion fatigue tests were carried out on extruded AZ31 (3% Al, 1% Zn, 0.3% Mn, Mg—the rest), AM50 (5% Al, 0.4% Mn, Mg—the rest) and ZK60 (5% Zn, 0.5% Zr, Mg—the rest) Mg alloys in air, NaCl-based and borate solutions. N_sol/N_air ratios (the relative fatigue life) were used for the analysis of the corrosion fatigue behavior of Mg alloys in various environments, where N_sol and N_air are the numbers of cycles to failure in the solution and in air, respectively. Extruded ZK60 alloy reveals very high fatigue and corrosion fatigue properties in comparison with other alloys. However, it has the lowest relative fatigue life (N_sol/N_air 10⁻³–10⁻²) or the highest sensitivity to the action of NaCl-based solutions in comparison with that of AM50 and AZ31 alloys (N_sol/N_air 10⁻²–10⁻¹). Under the same stress, the corrosion fatigue life of extruded alloys is significantly longer than that of die-cast alloys (N_sol for extruded AM50 in NaCl is two to three times longer than that of die-cast AM50).