Which term describes non-radioactive material that becomes radioactive after exposure to neutron radiation in a reactor?

• A. Electron
• B. Reactor coolant
• C. Nuclear fuel
• D. Activated Corrosion Products

Answer: (D)

When materials in a reactor are exposed to neutron radiation, stable atoms can capture neutrons and become radioactive. If the material that turns radioactive comes from corrosion products on reactor surfaces, the correct term for those activated, originally non-radioactive, materials is activated corrosion products. These particles form on piping and components and can circulate or deposit in the coolant, driving radiation exposure in the system.

This description fits the idea of a non-radioactive material that becomes radioactive after irradiation. Other options don’t capture this scenario: electrons are not a material that becomes radioactive; the coolant can itself become activated but the specific, commonly used label for corrosion-derived activation is activated corrosion products; nuclear fuel is already radioactive after irradiation, not non-radioactive beforehand.