Advanced Materials Development & Testing

Fusion energy systems require materials that are capable of operating in extreme environments over long operation durations. We are designing advanced materials that can withstand exposure to an extremely aggressive environment with extreme temperatures with a high intensity of nuclear radiation and corrosion.

  • Advanced Materials Development: e.g. multi-materials integration, thick tungsten-alloy coating with strong adhesion to substrates, low activation metal alloys, high entropy metals alloy & ceramics.
  • Extreme Materials Testing: Ee.g. high-temperature mechanical testing, and high-temperature high-pressure corrosion testing under water, liquid metal or molten salt environments.
  • Non-Destructive Testing & Evaluation (NDT&E), e.g. defects detection with infrared thermography (IRT), laser ultrasonics (LUT), Electro-Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) and Phased Array Ultrasonic Transducer (PAUT).

High Entropy Ceramics

We are developing high entropy ceramics (HECs) with superior radiation resistance for fusion reactor insulator applications. Their composition enhances structural stability under extreme conditions, offering improved performance and durability.

Core capabilities:

  • High entropy ceramics (HEC) synthesis
  • In-situ irradiation testing
  • Irradiation modelling of HECs
  • Physical vapour deposition of radiation-resistant HECs
  • Plasma spray (PS) of HECs coatings

Key facilities and technologies:

  • Ion beams/bias DC/ RF sputtering
  • High-throughput combinatorial pulsed laser deposition (PLD)
  • Atmospheric plasma spray (APS)
  • High velocity oxy-fuel spray (HVOF)
  • Cold spray
  • Gas/vacuum furnace
  • High speed-plasma sintering (SPS)
  • In-situ high temp XRD

Low-Activation Alloys Testing & Analysis of Materials

High temperature structural testing is critically important for the development of materials used in fusion reactors due to the extreme conditions these systems operate under. We work to define safe operational margins by identifying limits and failure modes of materials to be deployed and support the development and qualification of advanced materials and coatings.

Core capabilities:

  • In-situ crystallography analysis from 25° C to 1200° C
  • In-situ tensile & compression test from 25° C to 1200° C
  • In-situ Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) with tensile, from 25° C to 1000° C
  • Structural alloys development: Ni-free Austenitic Steel, ODS Alloys

Key facilities and technologies:

  • High temperature X-ray diffraction (XRD)
  • High temperature static/dynamic tester (tensile/compression)
  • High temperature micro-tensile (EBSD/SEM + tensile)

Corrosion & Protection of Materials

Corrosion testing is essential for coolant-facing materials, addressing their weakness and providing potential protections.

Core capabilities:

  • Liquid metal and molten salt corrosion with controlled environment
  • High-throughput static corrosion testing in molten salt and liquid metal
  • High-temperature and high-pressure aqueous-based corrosion testing
  • Flow-accelerated corrosion
  • Gas permeation testing
  • Gas permeation testing in liquid metal and molten salt conditions
  • Surface engineering and protective coating
  • Thermal cycling screening the stability of ceramic coating on metallic substrate

Key facilities and technologies:

  • Vacuum- and glovebox-based corrosion testing platforms
  • Vacuum-based permeation testing platform
  • Electrochemical corrosion testing system
  • Atomic layer deposition and chemical/physical vapor deposition
  • Plasma electrolytic polishing and oxidation
  • Laser cladding (direct energy deposition) and twin-wire arc spray
  • Hybrid coating techniques (e.g., ionic electroplating and plasma electrolytic oxidation)