We are excited to share the latest advancements in our research efforts in the context of the ReMade@ARI project.
๐๐จ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ and ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ฌ under the supervision of ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ from the National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, being part of the EUROfusion consortium, are conducting cutting-edge research which focused on understanding and mitigating radiation damage in materials. This is a crucial step towards realizing the potential of fusion energy โ ๐ข ๐ค๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ๐จ๐บ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ถ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ.
Their research is centered on ๐ซ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐/๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ (๐๐๐ ๐) ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฌ, which are poised to play a pivotal role as structural materials in future fusion reactors. These Fe-Cr based alloys, particularly those with around 10 at% Cr, offer excellent resistance to swelling and corrosion under irradiation, and exhibit minimal radiation-induced ductile to brittle transition temperature (DBTT) shifts. However, the extreme environment within a fusion reactor, characterized by intense neutron fluxes and high temperatures, presents significant challenges to these materials.
During their recent beamtime, allocated on August 2024 as part of the ReMade@ARI project, at the ๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ (๐๐๐๐) of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), they tackle these challenges by investigating the effects of radiation on RAFM steels using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS).
The group picture is showing (from left to right) Dimitris Papadakis, Sofia Pantousa and Eric Hirschmann during the beamtime at HZDR.
PALS enables to detect and to analyze microstructural changes and defects in the materials at an atomic level, providing unparalleled insights into radiation-induced damage mechanisms. By simulating the harsh conditions of a fusion reactor through controlled ion irradiation experiments conducted at the Ion Beam Center at HZDR, they could closely examine how these materials behave and evolve.
The data gathered from these experiments are invaluable, not only for enhancing our understanding of radiation effects but also for developing predictive models that will guide the creation of more resilient, neutron-resistant materials. These innovations are crucial for the success of future fusion reactors, which will rely on materials that can withstand prolonged exposure to radiation while maintaining their structural integrity.
Moreover, RAFM steels offer significant environmental benefits, aligning with the principles of the circular economy. These materials can be recycled and reused after a certain period, minimizing radioactive waste and reducing the overall environmental impact of fusion energy technology.
Special thanks to Maik Butterling, Maciej Oskar Liedke, and Eric Hirschmann for their invaluable support during the beamtime and the ongoing analysis of this promising data as well as to Miguel Sequeira for his support during the materials irradiation experiments.ย
That research work has received funding from the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe call HORIZON-INFRA-2021-SERV-01 under grant agreement number 101058414 and co-funding by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK governmentโs Horizon Europe funding guarantee (grant number 10039728) and by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) under contract number 22.00187.
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