About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Accelerated Qualification Methods for Nuclear Reactor Structural Materials
|
| Presentation Title |
Down-selecting Nb-free Cu alloys for fusion applications using in situ transient grating spectroscopy |
| Author(s) |
Elena Botica Artalejo, Gregory Wallace, Michael Short |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Elena Botica Artalejo |
| Abstract Scope |
This study presents a high-throughput method to assess radiation damage resistance in Nb-free Cu alloys for fusion reactor RF antennas. Using transient grating spectroscopy (TGS) during 7 MeV copper ion irradiation, changes in surface acoustic wave (SAW) frequency and thermal diffusivity have been monitored in real-time. A sharp drop in SAW frequency upon irradiation start was found to strongly correlate with the final void density observed via transmission electron microscopy, enabling early prediction of microstructural damage. Additional vacancy migration energy calculations have been performed for each of the alloys to compare them with the final void density after irradiation. This approach advances materials development for extreme environments, offering a faster, cost-effective pathway to discover robust alloys, significantly reducing irradiation time and post-irradiation analysis, thereby accelerating progress toward viable fusion energy technologies. By screening various CuCrTa compositions, a radiation-resistant candidate material for RF antennas has been identified. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Copper / Nickel / Cobalt, Thin Films and Interfaces |