ML21264A163

History 101: Crud Another Acronym Bites the Dust

ML21264A163
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Issue date:	09/21/2021
From:	Thomas Wellock Office of Public Affairs
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CRUD: Another Acrony m Bites the Dust

C ha lk R ive r U nide nt ifie d D e pos it s (C R U D ). T he nuc le a r indus t r y love s it s a c r onyms, a nd t he myt h be hind C R U D a t erm for corros ion part icles t hat be c ome r a dioa c t ive is almos t as fabled as Safety C ont r ol R od A x e M a n (SC R A M ). B ut in r e a lit y, c r ud, like s c r a m, is not a n a c r onym a t a ll, but popula r s la ng a ppr opr ia t e d by M a nha t t a n Pr oje c t pe r s onne l.

T he ide a t ha t c r ud w a s a n a c r onym c a me fr om a 1 9 5 9 a r t ic le by C omma nde r E. E. Kint ne r. I n 1 9 5 3, Kint ne r he a de d t he A dva nc e d D e s ig n G r oup unde r H yma n R ic kove r de ve loping t he M a r k I pr ot ot ype r e a c t or for t he fir s t nuc le a r pow e r e d s ubma r ine, t he N a ut ilus. T o ve r ify t ha t t he r e a c t or s fue l e le me nt s w ould not c or r ode, Kint ne r r e c a lle d, s a mple s w e r e placed in a research reactor locat e d a t C ha lk R ive r, C a na da. A ft e r s e ve r a l mont hs of ir r a dia t ion, t he fue l element s were covered in depos it s C ha lk R ive r U nide nt ifie d D e pos it s. T his w a s w or r is ome s inc e t he de pos it s mig ht bloc k t he flow of c oola nt a r ound t he fue l c a us ing t he m t o ove r he a t a nd melt. While t he pr oble m w a s r e s olve d by a djus t ing w a t e r c he mis t r y, C R U D live d on a s a n a c r onym for r a dioa c t ive de pos it s.

C r ud w a s a t e r m us e d e a r ly by t he H a nfor d E ng ine e r ing Wor ks. Kint ne r like ly did not know t ha t by 1953 t he w or d c r ud ha d a lr e a dy be en in us e for ne a r ly a de c a de a t At omic E ne r g y C ommis s ion fa c ilit ie s. T he w or d a ppe a r e d in a t e c hnic a l ma nua l a s e a r ly a s M a y 1944 a t in t he H a nfor d E ng ine e r ing Wor ks in Wa s hing t on St a t e. T he ma nua l de s c r ibe d t he us e of c he mic a l t r e a t me nt s t o s e e p ins oluble c r ud a nd mud fr om t he s olut ion. B y 1947, c r ud w a s a c ommon e noug h in t he AE C t ha t r e por t s fr om H a nfor d a nd Oa k R idg e no long e r us e d quot a t ion ma r ks t o de s c r ibe t he c r ud de pos it ion pr oble m.

T hus, C R U D is r e a lly a n e x a mple of a ba c kr onym where wor ds a r e ide nt ifie d t o fit t he le t t e r s of a n e x is t ing w or d.

So, w hy w a s c r ud us e d t o de s c r ibe r a dioa c t ive de pos it s in t he fir s t pla c e ? C r ud w a s a c ommon w or d w e ll be for e Wor ld Wa r I I t ha t like ly de r ive s fr om t he We ls h c r yd, me a ning dis e a s e or pla g ue. B y t he early 1 9 3 0 s, c r ud be c a me s la ng for unpa la t a ble food, filt h, a s loppily dr e s s e d ma n or a n illne s s, a s in, I ve g ot t he c r ud. B y Wor ld Wa r I I, s oldie r s c a lle d a ny unknow n illne s s t he c r ud, a nd a c omic book of t he e r a fe a t ur e d a C or por a l C r ud a s one of its characters.

I t s e e ms like ly t ha t t he ne g a t ive c onnot a t ions of c r ud ma de it a fit t ing de s c r ipt or for c ont a mina t ion a s s oc ia t e d w it h r a dioa c t ive de pos it s. T he e t ymolog y of s c r a m a nd c r ud, t he n, r e ve a ls how M a nha t t a n Project workers t ried t o make s ens e of t he unc ommon ne w w or ld of t he a t om t hr oug h c ommon la ng ua g e.

B y T homa s We lloc k, NR C H is t or ia n