Share

Related Links

Related Stories

  • New material for thermonuclear fusion reactors
    Steel for extreme conditions
  • Molten fluorides for nuclear applications
    Analysis of several field cases reveals that corrosion in molten fluorides is essentially due to the oxidation of metals by uranium fluoride and/or oxidizing impurities. The thermodynamics of this process are discussed with an emphasis on understanding the mass transfer in the systems, selecting appropriate metallic materials and designing effective purification methods.
  • The high burn-up structure in nuclear fuel
    In today's light water reactors, starting approx. 4 years of operation cylindrical UO2 fuel pellets undergo a structural transformation at thier outermost radial regions. This poses the fascinating scientific challenge of fully understanding the microstructural mechanisms responsible for the formation of this new structure.
  • Chlorosomes offer solar energy breakthrough
    Bio-inspired solar cells
  • A safe reaction
    Nuclear reactors might one day be constructed using materials that can self-heal following radiation damage, thanks to a materials study by scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Feature

Structural materials for fission & fusion energy

22 December 2009
Steven J. Zinkle, Jeremy T. Busby

Structural materials represent the key for containment of nuclear fuel and fission products as well as reliable and thermodynamically efficient production of electrical energy from nuclear reactors. Similarly, high-performance structural materials will be critical for the future success of proposed fusion energy reactors, which will subject the structures to unprecedented fluxes of high-energy neutrons along with intense thermomechanical stresses.

Advanced materials can enable improved reactor performance via increased safety margins and design flexibility, in particular by providing increased strength, thermal creep resistance and superior corrosion and neutron radiation damage resistance. In many cases, a key strategy for designing high-performance radiation-resistant materials is based on the introduction of a high, uniform density of nanoscale particles that simultaneously provide good high temperature strength and neutron radiation damage resistance.

To read full paper, follow link to the right.

 

This article is featured in:
Energy