ULTRAFINE GRAINED AND NANOSTRUCTURED MATERIALS FOR ADVANCED ENERGY APPLICATIONS

Abstract

The understanding of nanoscale interactions of nuclear materials will help to mastering the complex behavior of actinides and of fission products, and the interfacial behavior of fuel-cladding under extreme conditions. Ultrafine grained and nanostructured engineering materials are also suggested as protective armors on the plasma-facing first wall of D-T fusion power plants. We review the constitution and preparation by arc-melting and ball milling of ultrafine grained materials for the advanced nuclear reactor fuels UC, UC-W, UN, UN- Mo , and UN-W. We report also the preparation of the first wall armour materials nano-W, nano W-Y alloys, nano-graphite, and nano- B 4 C by high energy ball milling and their characterization by metallography, XRD, DSC and HRTEM.