Role of Interfaces in Fracture Resistance of Power Generating Steels: Combined Multiscale Modelling/Experimental Approach

Completed

Nuclear Fission and Fusion(Nuclear Fission, Nuclear supporting technologies)
Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electric power conversion)

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Physics)

Not Cross-cutting

Professor A Crocker
Physics
University of Surrey

Standard

EPSRC

01 January 2004

28 February 2007

38 months

£192,408

Materials sciences

South East

Metals Programme -- Materials, Mechanical and Medical Eng

Professor A Crocker, Physics, University of Surrey

Project Contact, Magnox Electric Plc

Ths research proposal is based on the need, consistent with requirements identified by the EPSRC ESR21 Network, for a rigorous experimenta modelling investigation of the role of various boundaries, grain, twin, martenistic and bainistic laths and interphase boundaries, on the overall fra and fracture resistance (toughness) of low alloy steels and other alloys used in the power industry. A strength of this proposal is its interdisciplir aspect: researchers from four universities have formed a consortium to pool their diverse expertise. The Bristol Group will carry out work to esta effect of the range of boundaries and interrfaces encountered in a ferritic and austenitic steel and zircaloy on the initiation and growth of cracks. also take account of the composition and chemical state off the boundaries. These results and those obtained from model alloys will be directly integrated with the predictions of the theoretical models undertaken by the Surrey Group and the non-chemical properties measured by the Birmingham/Swansea Groups. Overall this will provide an input to the life extension and design of new power generating plant

01/01/07