Talk:Control rod
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It was suggested by User:Christopher Thomas that this article be merged into nuclear reactor. Having looked at both articles I don't think this is nessecery so I have removed the template - this does not meen that the same sugestion can not be made later, or indeed the merge made without discussion. Andreww 07:23, 16 October 2005 (UTC)
- I also think it shouldn't be merged. I think it would be cool though if we could make a template and a series of parts of nuclear plants. I'll write some if people want me to :) theanphibian 14:56, 27 April 2007 (UTC)
- What about 'carbon rods' ? I've heard about these and you put them in reactors to stop the fission.. but the list of elements that a control rod can be made of doesn't seem to include carbon.
- Control rods typically use Boron-carbide or Hafnium, both of which have strong neutron-absorbing qualities ("large thermal cross-sections"). Hafnium, while expensive, is used in the top parts of BWR control rods (actually, in BWRs, cruciform blades) for its very long life, thus reducing time spent replacing worn-out control rods. Simesa 06:13, 11 August 2007 (UTC)
- What about 'carbon rods' ? I've heard about these and you put them in reactors to stop the fission.. but the list of elements that a control rod can be made of doesn't seem to include carbon.
Carbon is not used in control rods because it is not a neutron absorber. (small cross section for absorbtion). It is used in some reactors as a moderator (graphite moderated reactors, like Chernobyl for instance) because it does not absorb neutrons, but moderates them to allow them to reach the energy level which will let them cause a fission in the Uranium. Moderating is done by neutrons bouncing off of the neucleus of the carbon atom giving up some of their energy in the collision. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.68.15.249 (talk) 14:57, 8 March 2008 (UTC)
