September 8, 2010 – Chalk River, Ontario
The neutron beam lines are once again operational at NRC-CNBC after the source of its neutrons, the NRU reactor, was shutdown on May 14, 2009. When a leak was discovered and the full scope of the repairs was determined, some predicted it to be the end of life for the world's oldest major research reactor. But Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) safely repaired the reactor vessel from inside the reactor core using remote welding and imaging tools. For information on the repair, consult AECL's NRUCanada website. After 15 months, AECL returned to the reactor to high power operations at about 06:00 on August 17, 2010.
The shutdown interrupted Canada's neutron beam user program at NRC-CNBC, through which about 200 scientists and students from across the spectrum of fundamental science to industrial application access the CNBC each year. Neutron beams are used as probes to obtain new understandings of materials or improve products and services.
From exploring the mysteries of superconductivity to innovating alloys for autos, CNBC applies neutron beams to characterize a wide range of materials with applications in Canada's four priority areas: health, information and communications, energy, and the environment, in addition to key sectors such as aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing and materials engineering. A recent success in bio-materials for pharmaceuticals has led to a partnership with MDS Nordion. In this case, microscopic balls called liposomes are being used to develop targeted drugs.
The CNBC's Applied Neutron Diffraction for Industry service has been called the best in the world by peer reviewers. Neutron beams provide knowledge that industries need to enhance their competitiveness. For example, CNBC recently worked on a project to enhance steels with a steel company, a university researcher and CANMET - a government laboratory specializing in metallurgy. CNBC provided the neutron diffraction results that the university partner used in computer simulations of the material and the fabrication process. CANMET then tested the fabrication process on a small scale. By combining all the results, the company was able to enhance its product's performance.
During the shutdown, CNBC cooperated with foreign neutron beam facilities and NSERC to mitigate the impact on Canadian science, and in particular, university research programs. CNBC also took advantage of the opportunity to pursue needed maintenance and upgrades that were difficult to perform while the reactor and beamlines were operating.
The return of the NRU reactor to service has allowed the CNBC to restart the neutron beam instruments and the neutron beam user program. Proposals for beamtime from the Canadian and international community are welcomed.
