Radiation damage in nuclear materials

The next generation of nuclear fission reactors and new fusion technologies will require novel materials capable of withstanding significant levels of radiation damage at high temperatures and in a range of environments. This project is aimed at understanding how some of the materials proposed for these applications will respond to these extreme conditions. Using transmission electron microscopy with in situ ion irradiation we are able to subject a nuclear material to an operational-lifetime of radiation damage in a single day whilst observing in real-time at the nano to micro scales. This enables us to understand the complex mechanisms of radiation damage helping to predict the outcomes of prolonged exposure of these materials within a nuclear reactor. The Electron Microscopy and Materials Analysis (EMMA) Research Group at the University of Huddersfield specialises in the investigation of radiation damage in materials using transmission electron microscopy with in situ ion irradiation and is one of the few places in the world that this type of experiment can be performed.