Nuclear Materials Coatings- Damage and Design

The development of new reactor technology requires material that is tolerant of damage, or more importantly predictable in its recovery from damage. Such damage can be varied, but will often lead to a degradation in material properties such as:

i) reduction in thermal or electrical conductivity
ii) bulk property modification, such as tensile strength reduction or crack formation
iii) leading to full amorphisation and loss of structure

One key area of recent development is the development of coatings designed to prevent damage of structural materials, such as fuel cladding surrounding nuclear fuel, or as a barrier to the first plasma wall within a fusion core. Such a material will be expected to experience very high levels of radiation damage, which will impact its long-term life.

This project will utilise the world-class facilities at the University of Liverpool in thin-film fabrication and microstructural characterisation, along with other facilities such as STFC Daresbury, and the Dalton Cumbrian Facility in West Cumbria. The project will focus on developing thin-films that would subsequently be irradiated, with property changes arising from such damage evaluated.