Johnstown, PA March 15, 2024

As you might expect, every detail of a nuclear reactor’s design, manufacture, and maintenance must meet strict specifications.

At the Florida Finishers Corporation (FFC) annual Mid-Winter Conference and Exhibition in January, Rob Mason presented on recent research and development (R&D) efforts involving lubricants used on nuclear reactor components, a factor that could have significant impacts on the reactor’s overall performance. 

Mason, a Principal Materials and Process Scientist at Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC), discussed work done by the Center for Advanced Nuclear Manufacturing (CANM), which CTC operates. The presentation was co-authored by CTC Senior Technical Director Rob Akans. 

“Consideration must be given to component materials and the surrounding nuclear reactor environment. Lubricant components, costs, and availability must also be considered,” said Mason. “Through CANM, CTC recently performed Design for Manufacturability analysis on the component and then developed a methodology and ranked identified technologies before making informed decisions regarding the selection of the most promising technology for potential further evaluation.” 

Mason is also the FFC’s Technical Director, whose duties included organizing the conference, serving as emcee/host, and even tearing down equipment (leveraging his past life as a roadie!).