Grant: Alliance Grants

The proposed research will combine experimental and modelling approaches to determine the effect of neutron radiation on three common Fe- and Ni-based alloys at the elevated temperatures that small modular reactors (SMRs) operate at. Proton irradiation will be used to emulate the effects of neutron irradiation, and hence to develop approaches allowing accelerated material qualification and assessment for use in novel reactor designs. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction will be used to characterise radiation damage structures and elemental segregation, while modelling will be used to simulate both aspects, and help provide mechanistic insight into the variation with temperature. This collaborative research will train three PhD students, and include complementary experimental and computational aspects that will help inform regulatory qualification of structural materials for SMRs. The key technology knowledge gap limiting progress and rapid deployment of SMRs is materials performance under SMR-relevant conditions. Most past nuclear materials' research has focused on behaviour at traditional reactor operating temperatures, which means that new scientific insights are necessary for proper SMR materials selection and qualification. Addressing these knowledge gaps by studying what nanoscale mechanisms are at play at these elevated temperatures will be critical for the CNSC to be able to make scientifically informed decisions. This will help new reactor designs be implemented, reducing electricity and power costs for Canadians.