Ongoing Research Projects at CHARISMA Lab
Radiation Effects in YHx for Microreactor Applications
Collaborators: Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Tennessee
This work will advance understanding of YHx for future microreactor applications combining in situ and post mortem experimentation and multi-scale characterization. The objective of this project is to (1) identify the effects of ion irradiation on the YH microstructure and phase stability at elevated temperature; (2) understand how radiation-induced defects, such as voids and dislocation loops, affect mechanical properties; and (3) establish a facility for further ion irradiation studies of YH and nuclear materials under gas exposure.
Design and lifetime assessment of advanced nuclear fusion shielding materials
Collaborators: Sandia National Laboratories
This work designs and tests the shielding capabilities of refractory boride and lanthanide composite materials for radiation shielding applications. Combining modeling and simulations with materials synthesis and characterization, this work will examine the lifetime shielding capabilities, materials lifecycle, and fabricability of novel shield materials.
Mechanism driven evaluation of sequential and simultaneous creep-fatigue
Collaborators: University of Michigan, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Tennessee
This project proposes to develop and use ion irradiation during both ex situ and in situ creep, fatigue, and creep-fatigue testing to analyze advanced reactor material responses under complex mechanical loading conditions in a low cost and accelerated manner. The work will focus on two materials of interest: Grade 91 and Alloy 709. Both alloys are under heavy consideration for use in non-LWR deployments as structural materials where creep and creep-fatigue can dictate the component lifetime during operation.
Designing W-based composites for nuclear fusion plasma facing material applications
Collaborators: Sandia National Laboratories, University of Tennessee
This work will synthesize W-based composites of W, Mo, Nb, Ta, Ti, V, and/or Cr via powder metallurgy routes and evaluate their performance in fusion reactor plasma-facing materials environments. Of particular interest is the ability of these materials to limit He bubble formation and He surface nanostructuring
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Irradiation and substrate effects in 2D MoS2
Collaborators: Sandia National Laboratories
This work seeks to understand the effects of backing substrates on the ion irradiation tolerance in 2D MoS2. 2D materials are commonly supported by a backing substrate and the coupled effects of low energy ion irradiation and the substrate composition remains an open question.
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Nuclear Engineering Lab Infrastructure Upgrade
This work upgrades the materials analysis and characterization capabilities in the Nuclear Reactor Lab at UNM. This work enabled the remote testing of irradiated materials and the mechanical testing of reduced-size specimens in the scanning electron microscope.
