The ageing of materials in the light water reactor fleet around the world is a major factor in ensuring not only the safe and economical operation of these power plants, but also preserving and extending their substantive contribution to carbon-free electricity production. ‘Ageing’ refers to the change in character or properties of components or systems with time. Ageing can occur in benign environments, such as those experienced by concrete under ambient conditions. It can also occur in harsh or extreme environments such as components in the core of a reactor where they are exposed to high temperature, high stresses, an aggressive chemical envi­ronment and a high level of radiation. These additional stressors can ini­tiate, accelerate and generally shape the ageing process over that in inert environments.

Classes of components for which an understanding of ageing is impor­tant are generally divided into four categories: core components including the reactor pressure vessel, other plant components, electric cables, concrete and piping. This book focuses on core components and electric cables and the processes by which ageing occurs. Couvant and Murty address two of the key ageing modes for core components — corrosion and creep deforma­tion — in chapters that illuminate the major processes and their consequences. Adamson and Rudling focus on the ageing of zirconium alloy fuel bundles that are critical components in the containment of the fuel and extraction of energy for electricity production. Next, Hashemian reviews the ageing of electric cables, hundreds of miles of which are installed in each nuclear plant.

But the last part of the book on assessment strategies for managing the ageing of materials in reactors is what makes it unique. While ageing of materials is unavoidable, and in fact ubiquitous, the key is to understand the ageing process and how the various components of the environment can affect or accelerate that process. Only by understanding the ageing process can mitigation or amelioration be considered. Jeong and Hwang, Katona, and Ray and Lahoda present perspectives on the evaluation of plant ageing including development of ageing management programs, proactive materi­als management, mitigation and repair methods, international cooperative activities and finally, integration of these programs into a system that ensures the safe, long-term operation of the power plant.

Gary S. Was

Walter J. Weber, Jr. Professor of Sustainable Energy, Environmental and Earth Systems Engineering University of Michigan