A nuclear reactor is a grueling place for the metals there�all the wear-and-tear caused by neutron activities inside the reactor can make them swell and become brittle over time.Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico have shown that by altering the microstructure of metals, metallurgists may be able to make reactor parts that are self healing. Blas P. Uberuaga, Xian-Ming Bai and colleagues conducted computer simulations of the long-term impact of neutron emissions on copper � not because much copper is used in nuclear plants, but because it is a relatively well-modeled metal. Their findings are published in Science. When a neutron hits metal, it displaces atoms within the crystal lattice. In a metal with a largely uniform structure, these atoms move to the surface, eventually...
