Carburization Kinetics of Zircalloy-4 and Its Implication for Small Modular Reactor Performance.

Carburization of cladding materials has long been a concern for the nuclear industry and has led to the restricted use of high-thermal conductivity fuels such as uranium carbides. With the rise of small modular reactors (SMRs) that frequently implement a graphite core-block, carburization of reactor components is once more in the foreground as a potential failure mechanism. To ensure commercial viability for SMRs, neutron-friendly cladding materials such as Zr-based alloys are required.

Findings from a Nationwide Study on Alcohol Consumption Patterns in an Upper Middle-Income Country.

Alcohol consumption is a risk factor for various diseases, especially non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries. The reduction of the harmful use of alcohol is mentioned in Target 3.5 of the Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDG).

First-principles study of the structure and band structure of Ga2Se3.

Our first-principles calculations show that the ordering of stoichiometric cation vacancies in Ga2Se3 has a large influence on the bandgap, up to 0.55 eV. Therein, the zigzag-line vacancy-ordered Ga2Se3 has the maximum bandgap (∼2.