Development, Characterization and Testing of Materials of Relevance to Nuclear Energy Sector Using Neutron Beams
Closed for proposals
Project Type
Project Code
F12023CRP
1575Approved Date
Status
Start Date
Expected End Date
Completed Date
21 November 2013Description
Nuclear technologies such as fission and fusion reactors including associated waste storage and disposal rely on the availability of not only nuclear fuels but also advanced structural materials. The objectives of this CRP are to address the use of neutron beams for characterization, testing and qualification of materials and components produced and/or under development for applications in the nuclear energy sector (fission and fusion). This CRP aims at bringing the stakeholders and end users of research reactors together for the enhanced use of available facilities and development of new infrastructures for applied material research in nuclear energy sector. Work envisioned under this CRP relates to the optimization and validation of research reactor based neutron techniques including facility and instrument modifications, improved process of data acquisition and analysis systems. Particular emphasis is placed on variable environment of materials to be characterized and tested as required by some applications such as intensive irradiation load, high temperature and high pressure conditions, presence of strong magnetic fields, etc. Targeted neutron beam techniques are material residual stress and texture measurements, advanced neutron radiography/tomography, and small angle neutron scattering. This CRP will expand the knowledge and understanding of materials behavior in terms of their characterization and qualification under extreme conditions for nuclear technologies. It will also contribute to the enhancement of utilization and applications of research reactors.
Objectives
The overall objective of this CRP is to employ advanced neutron beam techniques for solving problems of current interest of materials research in nuclear energy sector, to standardize and qualify relevant experimental techniques and modelling methods and to promote and establish collaboration among participants of the project and beyond.
Specific objectives
To bring the stakeholders and end users of RRs together for the enhancement of available facilities for applications of RRs in material research relevant to nuclear energy sector, including nuclear fission and fusion technologies.
To create an experimental data base to be used as a reference data to validate the models and calculation tools in nuclear material research.
To investigate and characterize materials using neutron beams at extreme conditions, relevant for the present and future nuclear technologies, e.g. intensive irradiation load, high temperature/pressure/corrosive environment, magnetic fields (fusion), etc..
To optimize and validate the advanced neutron beam experimental and modelling techniques, process of data acquisition and analysis, and to develop expertise in characterization and testing of materials in nuclear energy sector.
Impact
Nuclear technologies such as fission and fusion reactors including associated waste storage and disposal rely on the availability of not only nuclear fuels but also advanced structural materials. 19 institutions from 18 Member States (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation (two institutions), South Africa, Switzerland, USA) cooperated in this CRP with the main objective to address the use of various neutron beam techniques for characterization, testing and qualification of materials and components produced or under development for applications in the nuclear energy sector.
The CRP brought together stakeholders and end users of neutron scattering, neutron diffraction and imaging facilities to investigate materials for applications in nuclear energy sector. The CRP was an optimal framework to network different international groups dealing with the characterization and developing of nuclear materials, to establish new cooperation or refresh existing ones. The scientific presentations and discussions at the project meetings inspired new experiments and provided valuable results. A number of Round Robin exercises proved to be an effective way for testing and harmonizing the experimental methods applied and the reproducibility of the effects observed in the materials. It also has been shown through concrete examples that neutron scattering and imaging facilities could be improved thanks to the cooperation among groups with long experience and leading in their field and groups developing/modernizing their facilities.
This CRP was a successful and extremely valuable project: a broad spectrum of high level expertise was gathered, good equilibrium among developed and developing countries, providing a great opportunity for joint activities and complementary neutron beam techniques for material research and characterization. The important role and unique capability of neutron scattering in this particular field was highlighted, e.g. work with bulk materials, possibility to investigate radioactive samples, studies of samples in the presence of magnetic fields and tests of sensitivity to hydrogen at extreme conditions, and certainly should continue in the future.
In summary, the CRP scientific topics mainly focused on materials relevant for the present and future nuclear technologies, such as Oxide-dispersed-strengthened (ODS) steels, Zirconium based materials, welded structures and objects, and irradiated materials. The most important methods employed were: Neutron diffraction applied for the investigation of the phase compositions, the determination of dislocation densities and in particular for residual strain/stress measurements; Small angle neutron scattering to investigate inhomogeneities like irradiation defects or hydrogen precipitates; Neutron radiography and tomography to investigate macroscopic defects or element/isotope distributions.
Relevance
This CRP expanded the knowledge and understanding of materials relevant to the nuclear energy sector, in particular in what refers to their behaviour, characterization and qualification under extreme conditions for nuclear technologies. It also contributed to the enhancement of utilization and applications of research reactors, as neutron beam techniques were optimized and validated for the classes of materials studied.
In this respect, the TECDOC arising from the CRP is a defining contribution to the definitive establishment of neutron beam techniques in the analysis of materials relevant for the energy sector, including fission and fusion. It is the most advanced, up-to-date and comprehensive publication available on the matter, and is expected to remain a major source of information on the subject still in the coming decade, albeit complemented by scientific papers and reports on continuing advancements made after the CRP’s end.
Joint activities coming from or related to the CRP continued after its end, including the creation by the IAEA of a world-wide database of neutron imaging facilities. The IAEA plans to organize in 2018 a new Round Robin exercise to test the performance of neutron imaging facilities, with improved samples and including for the first time also samples to test 3D imaging capabilities.