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Nuclear Reactor Materials
BOOK
697
REVIEWS
B R T FROST a n d M B WALDRON, Nuclear Reactor Materzals (Temple Press, L o n d o n 1959 v l l - - 7 9 p 12s 6 d ) The p r e s e n t v o l u m e in t h e series of Nuclear E n g i n e e r i n g M o n o g r a p h s gives an 73 pages first a description of f u n d a m e n t a l a n d nuclear m e t a l l u r g y a n d t h e n of the reactor materials in general use The m a t e r i a l is divided into six c h a p t e r s w i t h titles as follows I Theoretical Metallurgy -I I S t r u c t u r a l Materials -- I I I Fuel Materials -- I V Liquid Metals -- V Ceramics and MetalCeramic Mixtures as r e a c t o r Materials -- V I Corrosion The first c h a p t e r and p a r t of t h e sxxth are an i n t r o d u c t i o n to t h e t e r m i n o l o g y of metallurgy, " t o u n d e r s t a n d the p r o p e r t i e s of materials it is first necessary to u n d e r s t a n d the language of the m e t a l l u r g i s t " , -- which occupies a p p r o x 40 % of the total n u m b e r of pages The r e m a i n d e r falls fairly evenly into three g r o u p s Fuel, S t r u c t u r a l Materials, O t h e r Materials and R e a c t o r Corrosion The first t w o subjects are -- t h e small space considered -- t r e a t e d r a t h e r t h o r o u g h l y , However, for u r a n i u m alloys t h e m e n t i o n i n g of low-alloyed u r a n i u m as lacking completely, as only the possibility for stabilization of the g a m m a - p h a s e in high-alloyed u r a n i u m is m e n t i o n e d I n the third g r o u p liquid metals o c c u p y d i s p r o p o r t i o n a t e l y m u c h space (10 pages), on the o t h e r h a n d a m o r e detailed description of o t h e r coolants, for instance organic liquids, is mmsmg° F u r t h e r , it would h a v e served the p u r p o s e b e t t e r if the outline of the book w a s laid according to t h e apphcatwn of t h e materials only, and n o t -- as is the case -- to a certain e x t e n t also according to their c h a r a c t e r Especially so as the b o o k is w r i t t e n " t o explain to engineers and chemical engineers associated w i t h the Nuclear P o w e r I n d u s t r y the properties of the materials which t h e y will be called u p o n to u s e " The p r e s e n t outline is possibly due to t h e fact t h a t the book has been w r i t t e n b y /our a u t h o r s (all f r o m Harwell) Conclusion I t is impossible w i t h the a v a d a b l e space to give n o n - m e t a l l u r g m t s a general backg r o u n d for the selection of reactor materials Therefore, t h e b o o k should h a v e been w r i t t e n for m e t a l l u r g i s t s only, and the i n t r o d u c t o r y c h a p t e r s should only t r e a t the general aspects of reactor m e t a l l u r g y a n d m o r e t h o r o u g h l y so F u r t h e r , t h e c h a p t e r s on the special subjects would i m p r o v e b y a b e t t e r defined outline -
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Per K n u d s e n
P A PETROW, .Kernenergieanlagen (VEB, Verlag Techmk, B e r h n 1959. 279 p ) The b o o k is an i n t r o d u c t i o n to reactor engineering The first four c h a p t e r s deal w i t h reactor physics, t h e r e m a i n i n g w i t h shielding, cooling, materials, existing reactors, design of p o w e r s t a t i o n s including the e c o n o m y and, finally, t h e calculation of some typical p a r a m e t e r s for a definite r e a c t o r As m e n t i o n e d m t h e preface, the b o o k is intended for t e a c h i n g m i n s t i t u t e s of technology, I t is w r i t t e n on the basis of a series of lectures given b y the a u t h o r a t an i n s t i t u t e for t h e r m o l o g y in Moscow I t is evident from the b o o k t h a t c o n s e q u e n t l y t h e a u t h o r m a i n l y takes an interest an the cooling p r o b l e m s The reactor physics p a r t is n o t entirely s a t i s f a c t o r y if the b o o k is intended for physics engineers m a i n l y However, from a general educational p o i n t of view, t h e book h a s its good points, a l t h o u g h s o m e t i m e s it seems a little too c u r s o r y The final illustrative calculations are definitely a good idea T a k i n g into a c c o u n t t h a t it seems a n impossible lob to write a good i n t r o d u c t i o n to this t r e m e n dous subject, one m i g h t s a y t h a t the b o o k is no b e t t e r and no worse t h a n o t h e r books w i t h the s a m e scope S J
Chrlstensen
697
REVIEWS
B R T FROST a n d M B WALDRON, Nuclear Reactor Materzals (Temple Press, L o n d o n 1959 v l l - - 7 9 p 12s 6 d ) The p r e s e n t v o l u m e in t h e series of Nuclear E n g i n e e r i n g M o n o g r a p h s gives an 73 pages first a description of f u n d a m e n t a l a n d nuclear m e t a l l u r g y a n d t h e n of the reactor materials in general use The m a t e r i a l is divided into six c h a p t e r s w i t h titles as follows I Theoretical Metallurgy -I I S t r u c t u r a l Materials -- I I I Fuel Materials -- I V Liquid Metals -- V Ceramics and MetalCeramic Mixtures as r e a c t o r Materials -- V I Corrosion The first c h a p t e r and p a r t of t h e sxxth are an i n t r o d u c t i o n to t h e t e r m i n o l o g y of metallurgy, " t o u n d e r s t a n d the p r o p e r t i e s of materials it is first necessary to u n d e r s t a n d the language of the m e t a l l u r g i s t " , -- which occupies a p p r o x 40 % of the total n u m b e r of pages The r e m a i n d e r falls fairly evenly into three g r o u p s Fuel, S t r u c t u r a l Materials, O t h e r Materials and R e a c t o r Corrosion The first t w o subjects are -- t h e small space considered -- t r e a t e d r a t h e r t h o r o u g h l y , However, for u r a n i u m alloys t h e m e n t i o n i n g of low-alloyed u r a n i u m as lacking completely, as only the possibility for stabilization of the g a m m a - p h a s e in high-alloyed u r a n i u m is m e n t i o n e d I n the third g r o u p liquid metals o c c u p y d i s p r o p o r t i o n a t e l y m u c h space (10 pages), on the o t h e r h a n d a m o r e detailed description of o t h e r coolants, for instance organic liquids, is mmsmg° F u r t h e r , it would h a v e served the p u r p o s e b e t t e r if the outline of the book w a s laid according to t h e apphcatwn of t h e materials only, and n o t -- as is the case -- to a certain e x t e n t also according to their c h a r a c t e r Especially so as the b o o k is w r i t t e n " t o explain to engineers and chemical engineers associated w i t h the Nuclear P o w e r I n d u s t r y the properties of the materials which t h e y will be called u p o n to u s e " The p r e s e n t outline is possibly due to t h e fact t h a t the book has been w r i t t e n b y /our a u t h o r s (all f r o m Harwell) Conclusion I t is impossible w i t h the a v a d a b l e space to give n o n - m e t a l l u r g m t s a general backg r o u n d for the selection of reactor materials Therefore, t h e b o o k should h a v e been w r i t t e n for m e t a l l u r g i s t s only, and the i n t r o d u c t o r y c h a p t e r s should only t r e a t the general aspects of reactor m e t a l l u r g y a n d m o r e t h o r o u g h l y so F u r t h e r , t h e c h a p t e r s on the special subjects would i m p r o v e b y a b e t t e r defined outline -
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Per K n u d s e n
P A PETROW, .Kernenergieanlagen (VEB, Verlag Techmk, B e r h n 1959. 279 p ) The b o o k is an i n t r o d u c t i o n to reactor engineering The first four c h a p t e r s deal w i t h reactor physics, t h e r e m a i n i n g w i t h shielding, cooling, materials, existing reactors, design of p o w e r s t a t i o n s including the e c o n o m y and, finally, t h e calculation of some typical p a r a m e t e r s for a definite r e a c t o r As m e n t i o n e d m t h e preface, the b o o k is intended for t e a c h i n g m i n s t i t u t e s of technology, I t is w r i t t e n on the basis of a series of lectures given b y the a u t h o r a t an i n s t i t u t e for t h e r m o l o g y in Moscow I t is evident from the b o o k t h a t c o n s e q u e n t l y t h e a u t h o r m a i n l y takes an interest an the cooling p r o b l e m s The reactor physics p a r t is n o t entirely s a t i s f a c t o r y if the b o o k is intended for physics engineers m a i n l y However, from a general educational p o i n t of view, t h e book h a s its good points, a l t h o u g h s o m e t i m e s it seems a little too c u r s o r y The final illustrative calculations are definitely a good idea T a k i n g into a c c o u n t t h a t it seems a n impossible lob to write a good i n t r o d u c t i o n to this t r e m e n dous subject, one m i g h t s a y t h a t the b o o k is no b e t t e r and no worse t h a n o t h e r books w i t h the s a m e scope S J
Chrlstensen