NSUF 16-CINR-10537: Enhancing irradiation tolerance of steels via nanostructuring by innovative manufacturing techniques
Equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) and high-pressure torsion (HPT) are two advanced and low-cost manufacturing techniques that produce alloys with ultrafine or nanocrystalline grain sizes. Alloys produced by ECAP or HPT possess dramatically higher strength than their conventionally processed counterparts, owing to significant grain boundary (GB) strengthening, and have significantly enhanced irradiation tolerance due to significant volume fraction of GBs that serve as sinks or recombination centers for radiation-induced defects. Austenitic steels are very important core internal materials for light water reactors, and ferritic/martensitic (F/M) steels are leading fuel cladding and structural materials for advanced fast reactors. Our proposed project will establish the performance of ultrafine-grained and nanocrystalline variants of reactor structural and cladding steels produced by ECAP or HPT, under neutron irradiation at relevant reactor operating temperatures, which has not previously been accomplished. The objectives of our proposed research are to establish/enhance our fundamental understanding of irradiation effects in ultrafine-grained or nanocrystalline steels produced by ECAP or HPT, and to assess the potential applications of ECAP and HPT in fabricating materials for applications in current and advanced reactors. Improving the performance of currently used austenitic and F/M steels through microstructural engineering via advanced manufacturing techniques provides high potential to improve radiation tolerance at relatively low cost compared to development of new alloys. The proposed research is highly relevant to DOE-NE’s Light Water Reactor Sustainability program and Advanced Fast Rector program.
Additional Info
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) and high-pressure torsion (HPT) are two advanced and low-cost manufacturing techniques that produce alloys with ultrafine or nanocrystalline grain sizes. Alloys produced by ECAP or HPT possess dramatically higher strength than their conventionally processed counterparts, owing to significant grain boundary (GB) strengthening, and have significantly enhanced irradiation tolerance due to significant volume fraction of GBs that serve as sinks or recombination centers for radiation-induced defects. Austenitic steels are very important core internal materials for light water reactors, and ferritic/martensitic (F/M) steels are leading fuel cladding and structural materials for advanced fast reactors. Our proposed project will establish the performance of ultrafine-grained and nanocrystalline variants of reactor structural and cladding steels produced by ECAP or HPT, under neutron irradiation at relevant reactor operating temperatures, which has not previously been accomplished. The objectives of our proposed research are to establish/enhance our fundamental understanding of irradiation effects in ultrafine-grained or nanocrystalline steels produced by ECAP or HPT, and to assess the potential applications of ECAP and HPT in fabricating materials for applications in current and advanced reactors. Improving the performance of currently used austenitic and F/M steels through microstructural engineering via advanced manufacturing techniques provides high potential to improve radiation tolerance at relatively low cost compared to development of new alloys. The proposed research is highly relevant to DOE-NE’s Light Water Reactor Sustainability program and Advanced Fast Rector program. |
| Award Announced Date | 2019-12-17T00:00:00 |
| Awarded Institution | None |
| Facility | None |
| Facility Tech Lead | |
| Irradiation Facility | None |
| PI | Haiming Wen |
| PI Email | [email protected] |
| Project Type | CINR |
| RTE Number | 3038 |