Radiation Damage in Nanoporous Nuclear Materials

Lead Research Organisation: University of Surrey
Department Name: ATI Electronics

Abstract

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Description A new mechanism for why nanoporous materials have enhanced stability to radiation damage has been identified. It has been noted that cascade can be "de-focused" when they interact with a void. What starts as a dense cascade becomes spread across the surface of a void which has the effect of lowering the density of the cascade of moving particles initiated by a primary knock on. The lower density cascade does not produce the same number of surviving defects as the higher density cascade and so the material can with stand a higher degree of irradiation We are still waiting for the very delayed experimental part of the program to verify our initial findings. The much delayed start of the experimental side of this project has caused substantial delays in being able to move forward on the modelling and simulation side.
After a slow start we have managed to incorporate defect clustering and recombination into the model of radiation damage close to a void. The provisional results have been given at conferences and we are now in the process of writing up a full detailed paper on the effect described above. This mechanism effects interstitials differently from vacancies - interstitials tend to be spread further from an impact site than vacancies and hence their clustering behaviour is different and hence the defocussing of the collision cascade is more noticeable wit the interstitial population than vacancies, changing the recombination and clustering behaviours of the two systems with void size. There is a strong indication that this novel behaviour can influence the radiation sensitivity of materials.
Exploitation Route Presentations in papers and conferences have been made or are in progress. We are working with our collaborators in the experimental part of the project to find ways of demonstrating experimentally what has been observed computationally. We are also working with a group in Belgium to take the simulations to longer timescales so that better comparison with experiment might be made. Work is still progressing in this area
Sectors Energy
 
Description UK National Ion Beam Centre
Amount £8,836,433 (GBP)
Funding ID NS/A000059/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2017 
End 12/2021
 
Description Joint IAEA-ICTP Advanced Workshop on High Sensitivity 2D&3D Characterization and Imaging with Ion Beams 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact The IAEA sponsored an Advanced Workshop at the ICTP in Trieste for Early Career Researchers. Three lectures were given by me and I was also asked to organize the school/workshop as well as to lecture.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://indico.ictp.it/event/7638
 
Description Presentation of Cascade Defocussing 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Invited Talk at the "International Conference on the Science and Application of Thin Films"
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016