< Back to previous page

Project

Advanced microstructural characterization of fusion materials: irradiation effects.

The project is focused on the microstructural analysis of so-called "in-vessel" materials for ITER and future fusion reactors and which will be exposed to heavy operational conditions including high heat loads and fast particle irradiation damage. At Belgian Nuclear Research Centre we mimic the irradiation conditions and investigate the material response as well as subsequent change of properties. Following ITER needs and the European Fusion Roadmap the investigation will focus on main in-vessel materials such as tungsten (W), Eurofer97 steel and copper alloys. The scientific/technical objective of this project is to build a comprehensive set of microstructural data to be obtained by transmission electron microscopy and specially designed tools allowing to perform in-situ investigation under applied thermal or mechanical loads. Thereby obtained microstructural information is of fundamental importance to rationalize the change of material properties under irradiation as well as it serves as a backbone for the validation of the available computational models dealing with predicting the microstructural state under fusion operational conditions. The project is scheduled for 4 years, it will include a number of international secondments to ITER partners and other fusion labs to perform experiments on unique equipment outside of EU.
Date:1 Apr 2022 →  Today
Keywords:NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS, TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY, MATERIALS CHARACTERISATION
Disciplines:Materials physics not elsewhere classified, Nuclear physics not elsewhere classified, Metals and alloy materials
Project type:Collaboration project