Nuclear Firsts: Milestones on the Road to Nuclear Power Development

279 Pages Indexed. Brand new condition with interior text pages near flawless. This book comprehensively traces the technical evolution of nuclear power development, both in the United States and elsewhere. In all, about 80 facilities and events in more than 10 countries are profiled. Developments in reactor technologies of all types are covered, as well as developments in reprocessing, enrichment, waste disposal, and some nonelectric applications of reactors (radioisotope production, district heating, desalination, and neutron beam therapy). The book also covers the first government and private organizations that developed around the nuclear industry. Both well-known facilities and events, such as the first demonstration of controlled fission and the first uses of reactors to produce electricity, and lesser known ones, such as early reactors in Antarctica and at the Panama Canal, are covered. Although many facilities are mentioned in the text or in tables, only "firsts of a kind" are discussed in detail. Tables are included to identify other "firsts," such as the first reactor in a state or a country, that may be of interest to individual readers. Six chapters cover: the scientific developments leading to the first demonstration of con- trolled fission the developments from the first demonstration of controlled fission to the first demonstration of the production of usable amounts of electricity the rapid evolution to an operating commercial nuclear plant built for peaceful purposes only the growth of nuclear reactor applications the maturation of the nuclear industry where the firsts have led and what lies ahead. Nuclear Firsts is written for a broad audience. Nuclear professionals will find it useful as an authoritative reference; science students and teachers will be able to use it as a general educational tool. This book will also appeal to organizations associated with the various firsts and to residents near the sites of the firsts, as it will provide them with information about the historical importance of locations in their own neighborhoods. Because the book is not limited to U.S. firsts, the international community will also find the book of interest.…