About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
Materials in Nuclear Energy Systems (MiNES) 2025
|
| Symposium
|
Materials in Nuclear Energy Systems (MiNES) 2025
|
| Presentation Title |
Materials in Emulated Conditions: Their Limits and our Limitations |
| Author(s) |
Eric Lang, Henry Osborne, Ryan Pena, Annika Tedstrom, Khalid Hattar, Shane Evans, Mary Alice Cusentino, Sadie Wicks, Assel Aitkaliyeva, Chase N Taylor |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Eric Lang |
| Abstract Scope |
Materials in advanced nuclear reactors face unprecedented operating conditions, necessitating the desire for designing novel materials with structures and properties optimized for the stimuli. In particular, microreactors and the first wall of fusion reactors will subject materials to high temperatures, hard neutron fluxes, and gas/ion exposure. Metal hydrides such as yttrium hydride (YH) are being developed for use as microreactor moderators, while advanced refractory alloys are being developed for use as first wall materials in fusion reactors.
This work highlights the performance of YH under combined environmental conditions: ion irradiation and thermal extremes. We will explore the micro/nano-mechanical properties of thermally cycled and ion irradiated YH. The properties of void-containing YH examined with in-situ TEM and in-situ SEM compression, coupled with finite element simulations show the impact of irradiation-induced voids on YH properties. We identify the impact of combined gas exposure during irradiation and thermal cycling on the performance of YH in irradiation and thermal environments impacting our ability to understand YH in in-service conditions. Thermal cycling in controlled gas environments shows the de/re-hydriding behavior of YH and impact on mechanical properties.
This work will also highlight the effect of helium irradiation on refractory TaNbMoW and TaNbMoTi alloys. Molecular dynamics coupled with irradiation fluences ranging from eV to keV level and up to 1E26 m-2 show the phase stability and deconvolute the influences of local grain orientation and local composition on irradiation-induced bubbles and surface structuring. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Undecided |