A Better Picture of Aging Materials

Research paper. Science & Technology Review. September 1999. 4-11 pp.Nuclear weapons are complex systems made of many different materials and interconnecting components. The materials may interact with air, moisture, and environmental hazards during manufacture, shipping, storage, and assembly as well as with each other once they have been enclosed in the weapon. They may weaken, harden, corrode, or even fail. These changes in properties, whether chemical, physical, or mechanical, are often lumped together under the label «aging».Contents:
Data for Predictions.
How Much Change Is OK?
The Materials at Hand.
Extracting Gases.
Cushioning the Warhead.
Hydrogen: The Enemy Within.
Putting It All Together.