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Radiation can indeed cause machinery to stop operating - high-energy particles hitting metals, for example, will cause atomic displacement and change the proper
by azernik 10y ago
Radiation can indeed cause machinery to stop operating - high-energy particles hitting metals, for example, will cause atomic displacement and change the properties (usually hardness and brittleness). Materials used in reactors usually have to be carefully chosen to function in the face of this continuous damage.
- ChuckMcM 10y agoTrue, but by that same logic we can state that water can make machinery to stop operating by oxidizing the iron in it into rust :-) That is very much unlike semiconductors which are particularly susceptible to high radiation as it damages the silicon crystal structure and can change the doping concentrations pretty much instantly if you aren't careful. I certainly would not disagree with the statement that one needs to also pick your materials carefully though.