Characterization of the atomic scale structure of yttria-based particles in oxide dispersion strengthened steels

据预测，到2012年，英国的发电能力将无法满足需求。可靠的大型电力来源对社会稳定和维持制造业基础至关重要。核聚变和先进裂变发电厂已经提出，其启动日期在2025年（先进裂变）到2050年（聚变）之间。这些有潜力为几代人提供大规模、清洁、无二氧化碳的发电。然而，建造核电站核心部件的结构材料必须在高温下具有高强度和韧性，并在严重的辐射损伤下保持数十年的良好性能。许多通常用于强合金的元素不能使用，因为它们的嬗变产物具有数千年的高放射性，因此我们必须使用非常有限的元素来设计新的强合金。其次，氦在大多数反应中产生，并增加了辐射损伤的脆化效应。氧化物弥散强化合金是一类相对较新的钢，有望在未来几代核反应堆（所谓的GenIV反应堆）中作为结构材料发挥重要作用。在这些新的反应堆设计中，这些合金在600摄氏度以上的温度下提供了比传统结构钢更好的性能。然而，在这些合金中有许多问题是非常不了解的。-在热机械加工过程中，何时以及以何种速率产生分散体-界面化学和原子结构是什么-该界面对吸收辐射产物有什么影响-如何最好地整合建模以帮助理解制造机制和抗辐射性。该项目将结合Kalpakkam英迪拉·甘地原子研究中心的制造专业知识，牛津大学和IGCAR的原子尺度表征专业知识，卢瑟福·阿普尔顿实验室钻石设施的专业知识，以及拉夫堡的建模专业知识，开展一项工作计划，探索ODS材料的基本冶金学，目的是设计具有改进性能的新合金。

It has been predicted that by 2012 the UK's electricity generating capacity will no longer meet demand. Reliable large sources of electrical power will be vital for social stability and to maintain a manufacturing industry base. Nuclear fusion and advanced fission power plants have been proposed, with switch-on dates in the range 2025 (advanced fission) to 2050 (fusion). These have the potential for large-scale, clean, CO2-free power generation for generations. However, the structural materials from which the power plants' core components will be built must have high strength and toughness at high temperatures, and retain good properties for decades under severe radiation damage. Many elements ordinarily used in strong alloys cannot be used because their transmutation products are highly radioactive for thousands of years, so we must design new strong alloys using a very restricted range of elements. Second, helium is produced in most reactions, and adds to the embrittling effects of the radiation damage.Oxide Dispersion Strengthened alloys are a relatively new class of steels that are expected to play an important role as structural materials in future generations of nuclear reactors (the so-called GenIV reactors). These alloys offer much improved performance than more conventional structural steels at the temperatures above 600 C that will be experienced in these new reactor designs. However, there are a number of issues that are very poorly understood in these alloys.- When, and at what rate, the dispersions are generated during thermo-mechanical processing- What the interface chemistry and atomic structure is- What effect this interface has on absorbing the products of irradiation- How best to integrate modelling to help understand both fabrication mechanisms and radiation resistance.This project is to combine fabrication expertise in the Indira Ghandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam, atomic scale characterisation expertise in Oxford and IGCAR and at the Diamond facility at the Rutherford Appleton Laboaratory, and the modelling expertise at Loughborough, to undertake a programme of work to explore the fundamental metallurgy of ODS materials with the aim of designing new alloys with improved properties.