PROGRAMME GRANT: MATERIALS FOR FISSION AND … AP8 report... · MFFP 8th Advisory Group Meeting,...

MFFP 8th Advisory Group Meeting, 16-05-2014 - 1 -

PROGRAMME GRANT: MATERIALS FOR FISSION AND FUSION POWER

8TH ADVISORY GROUP MEETING, 16-05-2014

PROGRESS REPORT

1 PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS .....................................................................................................2

2 FUTURE PROSPECTS .............................................. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

3 PROJECT MANAGEMENT....................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

4 PROJECT FINANCE................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

5 PERSONNEL................................................................................................................................8

6 MFFP COLLABORATIONS.................................................................................................... 11

7 OTHER COLLABORATIVE / EXTERNAL PROJECTS..................................................... 12

8 OUTREACH AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ....................................................................... 17

APPENDIX A: PROJECT FINANCIAL DATA............... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

APPENDIX B: PAPERS PUBLISHED ............................ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

APPENDIX C: CONFERENCES ....................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.

APPENDIX D: PAPERS NOV. 2013 - MAY 2014 ................................................................... 18

APPENDIX E: CONFERENCES NOV. 2013-MAY 2014.......................................................... 21

APPENDIX F: JOINT CCFE AND OXFORD MATERIALS PAPERSERROR! BOOKMARK NOTDEFINED.


1 PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS

As requested by the AP, the report here is a brief summary of the major achievements of the MFFP

project since starting in 2009. A detailed report on scientific progress since the last AP meeting

(November 2013) will be included in the next AP report (~November 2014). Reportage will largely be

confined to the original target areas of the MFFP project, in ODS steels and tungsten alloys for extreme

nuclear environments. However it should be noted that the “greater MFFP group” now includes a

substantial number of researchers on other nuclear materials topics, such as hydrogen pick-up in and

oxidation of zirconium alloys, stress corrosion cracking in stainless steels, fracture of nuclear graphites,

bubble-lattice formation, and irradiation effects in beryllium.

1.1 MAJOR RESEARCH RESULTS

1.1.1 ODS ALLOY PROCESSING

Mechanical Alloying: We have established, from scratch, a facility for production of high-

quality ODS alloys in small experimental batches, to enable optimisation of production routes

and eventual alloy properties, and to provide a source of alloys of known, tailored compositionsand microstructures for research within and outside the project.

Liquid phase routes: We have made first steps towards validating possible bulk productionmethod, using spray forming and rapid solidification routes.

Additive Manufacturing: We have successfully made walls and solid blocks of a ferritic ODS

alloy, PM2000, by selective laser processing; strength and microstructure are very similar toconventionally consolidated material.

Joining: We have successfully joined ODS steels by friction stir welding (with TWI). The

dispersoids coarsened slightly during welding, and exhibited different size distributions atdifferent points within the weld zone.

1.1.2 ATOM PROBE & ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

ODS characterisation: High spatial resolution characterisation by APT and TEM has been

performed throughout the project, of the new batches of ODS material produced by mechanical

alloying at Oxford, to allow the processing conditions to be optimised. Several new types of

nanoscale oxide particles have been found and the incorporation of minor elements within theoxide particles has been studied.

Helium management in ODS alloys: TEM studies of helium implantation in to ODS steels has

shown that alloys processed at lower temperatures than the “standard” 1150°C, so as to have a

greater density of ODS particles, have increased resistance to bubble formation in the bulk andat grain boundaries.

Radiation Damage characterisation: extensive post-irradiation TEM and TEM in-situ

irradiation of tungsten, tungsten alloys and model iron-chromium binary alloys has been used

to build a comprehensive matrix of the densities and types of dislocation loop damage producedover temperatures from 300°C to 800°C. Particularly notable results include:

o Tungsten and tungsten alloys: In-situ TEM irradiation has been used to show that Re

restricts loop mobility, leading to smaller loop sizes and higher number densities than in

pure W. At low doses in W, vacancy loops formed within individual cascades, most likely

by ‘cascade collapse’. Interstitial loops form at higher doses, and elastic interactions

between loops can change their Burgers vector and/or lead to formation ofsuperstructures such a “strings”.

o FeCr alloys: TEM in combination with APT has shown that Cr segregates to dislocation

loop damage, especially at lower dose rates and at lower temperatures, causingenhanced hardening.


o ODS steels: in-situ TEM ion irradiation has demonstrated the extraordinary stability of

these materials to microstructural change and damage accumulation up to damagelevels of at least 10dpa.

o FIM: The “ancient art” of Field Ion Microscopy has been applied to the study of radiation

damage in tungsten, and we have demonstrated that individual point defects can beimaged.

o Phase decomposition under irradiation in W alloys: We have, demonstrating that

even thermodynamically stable dilute W-Re, W-Ta and W-Re-Os alloys can formextensive clusters during irradiation, leading to considerable hardening.

1.1.3 MECHANICAL PROPERTIES: Micromechanical testing: Test techniques based principally on microcantilever bending have

been developed and used through the MFFP project.

o We have developed data analysis methods based on iterative matching of FEA models of

beams to extract elastic, yield, work hardening / softening and fracture strengthcharacteristics reliably from test data.

o We have demonstrated the use of microcantilever testing on neutron irradiated

materials, for the first time using these methods to comparing flow at this scale with thatin equivalent ion-irradiated material.

o Interpretation of micromechanical yield and flow data in terms of bulk properties is

made difficult by strong inherent size effects in almost all materials (ODS steels may be

an exception). Ideally specimens of at least 4-5m in section are needed. This places

limitations on ion energies that can be most effectively used for self-ion implantation,

especially in tungsten. However, in neutron irradiated materials (or proton-irradiated

materials, not yet attempted in the MFFP project), cantilevers of this size canstraightforwardly be made, given enough FIB time.

o Fracture toughness measurements can reliably be made by microcantilever bending

tests if materials have KIc less than about 10MPam. These can be applied to measure

grain boundary and interfacial strength properties, demonstrated in tungsten alloys andin oxidised Ni-600.

o While microcantilever (or micropillar) methods have unique utility for investigation of

detailed flow behaviour, they should be used in conjunction with simple

nanoindentation tests to give “screening” modulus and hardness data, which can beobtained in bulk without the need for scarce FIB resources.

High- and low- temperature micromechanics: Commissioning the system occupied much

longer than planned. We have now demonstrated the stability of the system up to 800°C, and

down to -50°C. We have used it to study high temperature behaviour of He-irradiated tungsten,

and have found that the very high hardening effects produced (and by extrapolation,

embrittlement, though not yet tested extensively) are retained up to 800°C. The hardening

centres, probably He-vacancy clusters, are too small to resolve by TEM.

The system has also been used to study carbon-dislocation interaction in iron, in the first-ever

study of dynamic strain aging by indentation methods, and high temperature mechanicalbehaviour of molybdenum.

1.1.4 MODELLING

Dislocation dynamics modelling of micromechanics: We have developed 2D dislocation

dynamics – coupled with FEA models that quantitatively simulate the deformation behaviour of

microcantilever; these models show that the size effect is due to dislocations forming “soft” pile-

ups near the neutral axis of the beams, and that the “size effect” depends on dislocation sourcedensity as well as specimen dimensions.


3D dislocation modelling: we have investigated the effects of image forces important in thinfilms such as TEM foils. We have developed a novel simulation code harnessing the power ofGPU processing, achieving orders of magnitude efficiency improvements for a fraction of thecost of a cluster.

Effect of elastic anisotropy on microstructure:Fe and ferritic steels become highlyelastically anisotropic as the - transition temperature is approached. Our modelling hasestablished the causal link between the anisotropy, the emergence of atypical sharp-cornereddislocation structures and the well-documented loss of strength at high temperatures. Thejagged microstructure at the centre of the effects has been quantitatively confirmed in TEM.

Grain boundary helium embrittlement model: a model combining density functional theory

data and transmutation helium production rates has been developed, which is able to predictcritical helium grain boundary concentrations giving rise to helium embrittlement.

Integrated neutronics-microstructural evolution model for materials in a fusion power

plant: a comprehensive model, combining simulation of neutron fields for an assumed detailed

engineering model of a fusion power plant with a helium embrittlement model, has been

developed and applied to assess the lifetime of various materials in a fusion power plantenvironment with respect to the onset of transmutation-induced helium embrittlement

Model for irradiation microstructure evolution observed in in-situ TEM experiments: a

model for evolution of irradiation induced microstructure, including the statistics of defect

production derived directly from cascade simulations and elastic interaction between defects

formed in cascades, has been developed and applied to the interpretation of in-situ TEM

experiments. For the first time the model explained the evolution of defect densities and sizedistributions in agreement with observations.


1.2 PUBLICATIONS AND CONFERENCES

1.2.1 JOURNAL PAPERS

allFirstAuthor

%first

Lastauthor %last

AllMFFPauthors

Allotherauthors

MFFP“contribution”

2009-10 25 14 56% 18 72% 54 64 46%

2011 30 19 63% 21 70% 79 180 31%

2012 33 25 76% 21 64% 74 71 51%

2013 45 31 69% 25 56% 107 245 30%

to May 2014 21 7 33% 7 33% 34 88 28%

Overall 154 96 62% 92 60% 348 648 35%

The table above summarises refereed journal publications on MFFP topics with at least one MFFP

researcher as an author, within the period of the Programme grant, from December 2009 to present.

The table’s columns show, by year and in total:

1. Total number of papers with at least one MFFP author.

2. Number and %age of papers with an MFFP “first author”.

3. Number and %age of papers with an MFFP “last author”.

4. Total author counts, MFFP and non-MFFP, hence %age of “total authorship” to MFFP.

Data are largely drawn from self-reporting by staff, postdocs and students for this and previous MFFP

AP reports, with some recourse by SGR to Web of Knowledge and Scopus, and are thus reasonably

complete, though a few papers may have been missed. Full data are given in Appendix B, and details of

papers published and submitted since the last report are in Appendix D. A list of joint CCFE-Oxford

papers is given in Appendix E.

1.2.2 CONFERENCES

AttendedInvitedTalks

Contrib.Talks Posters

2009-10 52 26 20 8

2011 47 20 21 0

2012 59 15 33 10

2013 87 18 58 8

to May2014 26 6 9 4

Total 271 85 141 30

The table above summarises conference attendances by MFFP researchers within the period of the

Programme grant, from December 2009 to present. Data are largely drawn from self-reporting by staff,

postdocs and students for this and previous MFFP AP reports, and are certainly somewhat under-

reported (particularly on poster presentations); some researchers gave no data for some AP reports..

Full data are given in Appendix C, and details of conferences attended and talk and posters presented

since the last report are in Appendix E.


1.3 ORGANISATIONAL

1.3.1 WITHIN OXFORD MATERIALS

The EPSRC grant involved 5 staff at Oxford, and funded four 5 year postdocs and five 3.5 year research

studentships. A substantial successful outcome of the MFFP programme grant has its catalyzing effect

in the rapid growth of nuclear research in Oxford Materials, such that from less than a handful of

researchers in 2008, Oxford’s “greater MFFP” group (see section 2) is now a rather soft-edged entity

numbering more than 9 academic staff, 12 postdocs, and 30 doctoral students, with administrative and

technical support; plus a steady through flow of academic visitors and part 2 students. Previously

rather separate techniques-based groups have become to a very substantial extent, a multi-faceted

“supergroup” where techniques and approaches are combined.

This has been a very important factor leading to Oxford becoming a nationally in internationally highly

regarded centre in nuclear materials research, resulting in our participation in the wide and growing

range of collaborative projects detailed in sections 0and 4.

The MFFP website has evolved, with a useful and cohesive function as an archival repository (in a

password-protected section) of presentations made at the Friday group meetings, presentations at the

September workshops, and other useful documents such as “hints and tips” for experimental methods.

1.3.2 CAREER DEVELOPMENT

We have a good “conversion rate” of D.Phils. internally to postdocs and beyond. Joven Lim, Thomas

Boegelien and Christian Beck have all progressed from doctorates in the MFFP group to PDRAs. David

Armstrong progressed from D.Phil. to College JRF to MFFP PDRA and then won a RAEng Fellowship;

Philip Edmondson, an MFFP PDRA, won an EPSRC Advanced Fellowship; Xiaoou Yi, progressed from

D.Phil. to College JRF; Chris Hardie from D.Phil to a post at CCFE, with special responsibility for the MRL.

Other MFFP D.Phils and PDRAs have moved to academic or research positions elsewhere.

1.3.3 “INTERNAL” COLLABORATIONS

The MFFP project is centred at Oxford University Materials, but involves collaborations with:

CCFE: this has been an extensive, continuous collaboration. The CCFE theory of materials group

regularly attend MFFP Friday meetings, and stay for discussions with MFFP experimentalists

and modellers. This has frequently sparked new research ideas of both sides. Joint publications

have been less frequent (see Appendix F), but will grow in the near future, especially in KMC

modelling of damage evolution, MD & DD modelling of dislocations and plasticity, and ab-initio

modelling of gas-defect interactions; and also with experimental work as the use of the

MRL/MRF grows.

Liverpool: here the interaction has been on ODS alloys; the two locations have pursued parallel

tracks on mechanical alloy processing and radiation damage at Oxford and Additive

Manufacturing and joining at Liverpool. Nonetheless, there have been frequent visits of

postdocs and students between the two centres, not for Oxford researchers least to learn and

use TEM at Liverpool, and for Liverpool researchers to learn and use FIB methods at Oxford.

Huddersfield: Collaborative work between Oxford and Huddersfield on the MIAMI insitu

irradiation TEM system has been growing steadily as MFFP interest in He effects in ODS steels

and tungsten alloys has increased. Steve Donnelley and Steve Roberts have also collaborated

(with others) in formulating the TRITON project (section 4.2).

MFFP MIAMI usage: 2011 - 6 days ; 2012 - 11 days; 2013 – 6 days; 2014 (Jan- March) – 12 days.

CEA-CCFE: two major model development projects have been undertaken in area combining

density functional theory calculations and mesoscopic modelling: a model for non-collinear

magnetic structures of FeCr alloys, and the development of new interatomic potentials for

modelling radiation defects in tungsten.


1.3.4 ADDITIONAL PROJECTS

There is a growing number of new, substantial and largely international collaborative projects which

MFFP team members have originated or have been invited to join. These are detailed in later sections of

the report:

4.1: FAFNIR (facility for fusion neutron irradiation research) – facility, seeking funding.

4.2: TRITON (triple-beam ion radiation facility) – facility, seeking funding.

4.3: FETS (High-Current Proton Irradiation Source) – facility, seeking funding.

4.4: The C3 Project (DoE / EPSRC) – project, funded.

4.5: Ion Irradiation Simulation of Neutron Damage (DoE / EPSRC) – project, funded.

4.6: RaDIATE ( Fermilab/STFC/PNNL) – project, funded.

4.7: Radiation Damage in Perovskites (EPSRC) – project, funded.

4.8: Behaviour of Fission Products in Oxide Nuclear Fuels (EPSRC Fellowship)–, funded.

4.9: Micro-Engineering Advanced Alloys for Extreme Nuclear Power Environments (RAEng

Fellowship) –, funded.

4.10: Fusion Centre for Doctoral Training – EPSRC CDT, funded.

4.11: Center for the Stability of Radiation Resistant Nanostructures (DoE) – project application.

4.12: Bristol-Oxford Nuclear Research Centre – ongoing research collaboration, unfunded.

4.13: UK National Nuclear User Facility (NNUF) – facility, funded.

The visibility, size, expertise, facilities, quality and achievements of the MFFP project were major factors

in our involvement in these teams and in securing funding.

1.3.5 WORKSHOPS

Yearly workshops on nuclear energy (especially materials) topics have brought internationally-leading

researchers to Oxford to present and discuss their work. The workshops have been excellent publicity

for the MFFP project, have exposed our own research staff and students to current developments, and

have in many cases lead to setting up collaborations of vary scales from researcher exchanges to major

funding bids.

The meeting are centred on about a dozen keynote lectures (50 minutes) and give ample time for

discussions centred around the lectures and two substantial poster sessions where "work in progress"

is reported. The meetings are low cost (currently £400 all-inclusive), so as to encourage participation

from active research students and postdocs.

September 2010: Micromechanics

[ April 2011: Nuclear Materials Short Course ]

September 2011: Ion Implantation as a Neutron Irradiation Analogue

September 2012: ODS alloys for Nuclear Applications

September 2013: Tungsten for Nuclear Applications – back-to-back with

September 2013: Modelling of Radiation Damage and its Effects on Materials

September 2014: Zirconium for Nuclear Applications


2 PERSONNEL

2.1 ACADEMIC STAFF

Principal- and Co- investigators in this period:

Steve Roberts (Oxford materials) Project leader

Sergei Dudarev (CCFE) Modelling co-ordinator

Angus Wilkinson (Oxford materials)

Patrick Grant (Oxford materials)

Paul Bagot (Oxford materials)

Sergio Lozano-Perez (Oxford materials)

James Marrow (Oxford materials)

Steve Fitzgerald (Oxford materials)

Gordon Tatlock (Liverpool engineering)

Andy Jones (Liverpool engineering)

Steve Donnelly (Huddersfield physics)

Felix Hofmann (Oxford engineering)

Karen Disney continues to act as PA to SGR and James Marrow; Joanna Roberts acts as project

financial administrator.

2.2 POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS

Postdoctoral researchers in this period, funded by the MFFP project except where noted, are:

1. David Armstrong: Micromechanical testing: Oct. 2009 – Sept. 2012, funded by CCFE Culham via

a College JRF; Oct. 2012 – Sept . 2013 as PDRA; awarded Royal Academy of Engineering

Fellowship, October 2013-September 2018.

2. Philip Edmondson: Atom Probe Tomography and TEM (radiation damage): Oct. 2011 – Sept

2013; awarded EPSRC Advanced Fellowship, October 2013-September 2018.

3. Edmund Tarleton: Modelling of small-scale mechanical testing: July 2011 - June 2014 (co-

funded 50% by an EPSRC platform grant).

4. Xiaoou Yi: Electron microscopy of radiation damage, CCFE JRF at St Edmund Hall, Jan 2013 –

Dec . 2016.

5. Yina Huang: Electron microscopy of radiation damage, July 2013-Sept 2015

6. Maria Auger: Processing and atom-probe characterisation of ODS steels, August 2013-Sept 2015

7. Thomas Bogelein: Additive manufacturing of ODS alloys: Jan 2014 - Sept 2015

A two-year EFDA fellowship has been awarded to Yevhen Zayachuk on microstructure, mechanical

properties and hydrogen uptake in W and W alloys. Visa issues have delayed his start, but we expect he

will be able to join us in July 2014.

Other postdoctoral researchers have been working collaboratively with those directly funded by the

programme grant: Jicheng Gong (with AJW: micromechanical testing, zirconium alloys), David Collins

(with AJW: mechanical behaviour; x-ray tomography), Viacheslav Kuksenko (with SGR: radiation

damage in beryllium), Joven Lim (with PDE: TEM of radiation damage in oxides), Stella Pedrazzini (with

PDE: TEM of radiation damage in oxides), Luis Saucedo Mora (with TJM: mechanical behaviour of

graphite and quasi-brittle solids).


2.3 RESEARCH STUDENTS

Research students currently in post, centred within the research area of the programme grant:

James Herring Scale effects in micromechanical testing 2010-14 DTA

Mike Gorley ODS alloy microstructural development in

processing

2010-14 CCFE CASE

Eleanor Grieveson Grain boundary strength in irradiated

ODS alloys

2010-14 Rolls-Royce CASE

Chris Burrows Radiation hardening in ODS alloys 2010-14 Rolls-Royce CASE

Christian Beck Mechanical properties of W-based alloys 2010-14 DTA

Daniel Thompson Dislocation dynamics modelling of high

temperature strength in ODS alloys

2011-15 DTA

James Gibson High temperature and irradiated W 2011-15 CCFE CASE

Andrew London TEM / microanalysis of stress-corrosion

cracking

2011-15 Thomas Black Scholarship

Alan Xu Stability under irradiation of W alloys 2011-15 Prog. Grant studentship

Chris Jones High temperature mechanical properties

of ODS alloys

2011-15 Prog. Grant studentship

Katie Plummer Mechanical properties of and irradiation

damage in Mo

2012-16 DTA

Francesco Ferroni Irradiation damage in W: electron

microscopy and modelling

2012-16 Fusion DTN

Kris Bhojwani Micromechanical properties and

irradiation damage in ODS alloys

2012-16 Fusion DTN

Michal Dagan Field ion microscopy and atom probe

tomography of radiation damage in W

2012-16 Prog. Grant studentship

Zuliang Hong Bulk processing routes for ODS alloys 2012-16 Self-funded

Kiriakos Moustoukas

(Liverpool)

Friction stir welding of ODS alloys 2012-16 Prog. Grant studentship

(50%)

Bo-Shiuan Li Scaling effects in brittle-ductile behaviour 2013-17 Self-funded

Luke Hewitt Neutron and ion irradiation effects in

fusion materials

2013-17 CCFE award

Helen Pratt Silicon carbide for fusion applications 2013-17 Fusion DTN

Yeli Guma Atom-probe studies of He in tungsten 2013-17 Chinese gov’t Scholarship

Alasdair Morrison Processing of dispersion strengthened Cu

alloys for fusion applications

2013-17 CCFE CASE


Recruitment of students for 2014 start is under way. Offers have been made to, and accepted by:

Ed Rowe Graded W coatings (PSG/DEJA) 2014-18 CCFE-ICASE

Sarah Connelly ODS alloy fuel cladding (PSG) 2014-18 NNL

Robbie Abernathy Ion & neutron damage in W & W-alloys

(DEJA)

2014-18 CCFE-ICASE / fusion CDT

Jack Haley Generic “materials for fusion power”

(TBC)

2014-18 EPSRC / fusion CDT

Glenn Jones Modelling of materials for fusion

applications (SPF)

2014-18 CCFE ICASE / fusion CDT

The boundaries between doctoral projects directly related to the MFFP programme grant and other

doctoral projects on alloys for nuclear fission applications has become quite diffuse. These students

(tabled below) share the same office space and facilities as those more centred in the MFFP group, are

supervised by staff members who are lead investigators on the MFFP project, and are often co-

supervised by postdocs funded by or associated with the programme grant.

Sean Yardley Oxidation of Zr alloys 2010-14 EPSRC project studentship

Howard Chan Micromechanics of Zr alloys and Zr

hydrides

2012-16 EPSRC project studentship

Judith Dohr Micromechanical testing of oxidised grain

boundaries in nuclear materials

2012-16 EdF scholarship

Thomas Aarholt Electron microscopy of zirconium alloys 2012-16 Westinghouse

Brian Setiadinata Atom probe tomography of zirconium

alloys

2012-16 Westinghouse

Jing Hu Electron microscopy of zirconium alloys 2012-16 Westinghouse

Martina Meisner Stress corrosion cracking mechanisms in

nuclear alloys

2012-16 AREVA scholarship

Aidan Robinson The stability of bubble lattices in

irradiated materials

2012-16 Rolls-Royce

Matthew Jordan Fracture in nuclear graphite 2012-16 EDF Industrial CASE

Jenny Zelenty APT study of Cu-embrittlement of RPV

steels

2013-17 Rolls-Royce CASE

James Sayers H uptake in Zr alloys 2013-17 EPSRC Project studentship

Matthew Noble Modelling of bubble lattices in irradiated

materials

2013-17 Rolls-Royce


3 MFFP COLLABORATIONS

This section reports developments since the last AP report in collaborations that formed part of the

original MFFP EPSRC programme grant application.

3.1.1 UCSB & INL (N-IRRADIATED MATERIALS)Alan Xu visited UCSB 4- 8/1/14 to discuss atom-probe work with Bob Odette and Peter Wells . This led

to Peter Wells visiting Oxford 11/03 - 10/04/14, to work with Alan and others with two aims:

a) to study aged RPV steels, imaging copper clusters ; this was unsuccessful because the material he chose

featured very faint clusters that evaded detection. A secondary objective was to attempt to verify the Fe

content using the 3DAP FIM; this was not completed, but Peter developed a method of imaging steel

samples with minimal introduction of artefacts which will prove useful for additional samples he will be

sending to us for analysis.

b) To use the 3DAP FIM to image voids/bubbles of 5-20nm in diameter within a ion implanted Fe

sample; this was successful.

We are working towards transfer of ODS alloys for use in part of Kris Bhojwani’s D.Phil. project on

radiation damage processes in these alloys. Further compositions in the iron-chromium series will be

available for use in Kris’s and Luke Hewitt’s projects on comparison of ion implantation with neutron

irradiation. Most of the UCSB specimens have now been moved to Oak Ridge National Laboratory,

which we expect will make access easier.

3.1.2 CEA / JANNUS (ION IRRADIATION)An implantation on 15/04/14 well, using a full set of Fe-Cr samples and ODS steel from the same batch

(UCSB sourced) as those irradiated in the ATR. The implantation was at the same temperature (288°C)

and dose (1.6dpa) as for specimens neutron irradiated at the ATR, which will support a good

comparison. There were also EFDA made UHP Fe3%Cr samples in the experiment. This will provide

some valuable materials for Kris Bhojwani's and Luke Hewitt's DPhil projects and will also provide

material for internal CCFE research.

3.1.3 KARLSRUHE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Our collaboration with Michael Rieth’s group at KIT continues. We hosted Steffen Antusch from KIT for

a second three month visit (Sept-Dec 2013) to continue micromechanical and EBSD studies of powder

injection moulded tungsten alloys. Jens Reiser (KIT), who has made several research visits to Oxford, is

developing a collaborative research project with Steve Fitzgerald and David Armstrong on properties of

highly-deformed tungsten.

Karlsruhe have now received from Petten laboratories the tungsten fracture specimens neutron

irradiated to ~4.5dpa at 900°C some years ago as part of the “Extremat” project. These are currently

being tested to determine brittle-ductile transition behaviour. Steve Roberts, David Armstrong and

James Gibson visited KIT 27-29/11/13. We visited the hot cells and met with Hans-Christian Schneider

(and others) to discuss the progress with the four-point bend tests of the neutron-irradiated tungsten,

and recent results.

We are also exploring the possibilities of transporting “used” test specimens to Oxford or the MRL in

CCFE for study by micromechanics, TEM, and atom probe. Activity levels of these specimens have been

checked by KIT and are much lower than expected (in the previous report, it was thought that they

would have to be dealt with when the CCFE MRF became “active”), at ~ 0.49 MBq and 15 Sv/hr on

contact per 11×1x1 mm beam, well with the Oxford Materials activity allowance.

3.1.4 SHIMANE UNIVERSITY, JAPAN

Xiaoou Yi visited Prof Kazuto Arakawa at Shimane University in Japan 18-22 November, 2013. She

studied the temperature dependence of 10 keV He damage between 300C and 1200C. Two pre-


irradiated (2MeV, 300/500C, 1.5dpa) specimens were also implanted with 10 keV He up to the same

fluence at 300C and 500C, for studying the interaction between He and pre-existing loops, and how this

might have affected He retention in the material. The next visits are planned for the first two weeks of

June and October,. These will focus on sequential irradiation effects in W at 800C and expand the

investigation to W5(Re/Ta/V) on selective irradiation conditions.

3.1.5 SURREY ION BEAM CENTRE

We were originally allocated 960 hours of implanter time at Surrey. As at 7/ 5/14 we have used 685

hours, leaving the balance at 275 hours; this is slightly under the expected project -average given the

number of research-active time and number of researchers using the facility. However, some high-dose

implantations are planned in the next six months, so this small reserve capacity will be useful.

4 OTHER COLLABORATIVE / EXTERNAL PROJECTS

This section reports developments since the last AP report in collaborations that the MFFP group have

developed or been involved in that were not in the EPSRC programme grant application.

4.1 FAFNIR (FACILITY FOR FUSION NEUTRON IRRADIATION RESEARCH)This is a proposal to produce an accelerator-based “fusion-spectrum” neutron source as a faster parallel

track to IFMIF, led by Elizabeth Surrey of CCFE, with Steve Roberts, James Marrow and Paul Mummery

(Manchester) closely involved in the design of the projected irradiation volume. The FAFNIR design has

now been detailed in published papers. We continue to promote this project as part of a future fusion

strategy for the UK. A possible route is via the recent BIS call for “Science and research: proposals for

long-term capital investment”.

4.2 TRITON (TRIPLE-BEAM ION RADIATION FACILITY)A bid fully configured bid (£15M) was submitted to government by EPSRC for possible funding in early

August 2013; we still await the outcome. We will continue to promote this, most probably via the NNUF

grouping to the BIS call described in 4.1 above.

4.3 FETS (HIGH-CURRENT PROTON IRRADIATION SOURCE)FETS (Front End Test Stand) is a high intensity (6mA) 3MeV proton source being developed at STFC-

RAL. The accelerator physicists who are building FETS are interested only in producing and testing the

high-intensity proton beam, for future use in particle physics experiments. All they want at the

receiving end is an inert beam dump. If we could instead reconfigure the receiving end to be a

controlled-environment target area, we could produce a unique materials irradiation facility. The

funding for the accelerator and beamline is already secured (~£12M), so the economics of this look

quite favourable - the additional funding required would be for the target area only (~£1M for target

and remote handling: plus funding for shielding). The accelerator is already largely built, so the overall

construction time would be short. Materials irradiated would be activated to a moderate extent, so

there is complementarity with NNUF / CFFE-MRF.

There are strong arguments for using proton irradiation rather than heavy-ion irradiation for

producing deep (>20m) radiation damage for doing property measurements without such

measurements suffering badly from the scaling effects that are inherent with very small specimens. The

difficulty up to now with such irradiations is that the proton doses possible in a reasonable time have

not been sufficient to give substantial levels of damage on useful specimen areas. However, this FETS

source is of several orders of magnitude higher intensity (^than anything we have previously looked at.

There is also an issue of the PKA spectrum from 3MeV protons being too low to produce cascade

damage rather than isolated Frenkel pairs; but there is evidence that protons of high energy (10-

15MeV) behave every similarly to neutrons with the same energy range; so a additional proton

acceleration within FETS may be useful.


W are pursuing the possibility of a FETS upgrade with STFC , and CCFE, and if the project looks

technically feasible, useful and affordable, will discuss with EPSRC, and possibly via the NNUF grouping

to the BIS call described in 4.1 above.

4.4 THE C3 PROJECT (DOE / EPSRC)The Ceramic Coatings for Clad (C3) NEUP/IRP collaborative project, centred at the University of

Tennessee, started in January 2013. Like the NEUP/IRP project led by Gary Was (section 4.5), this

project will be for 5 years, with $5M (DoE funding) in the USA, matched with a £1M (EPSRC funding)

collaborative research project in the UK. The project will study MAX phase ceramic coatings and graded

interface multilayer ceramic coatings on Zr alloy nuclear fuel cladding. Oxford’s role is to apply

micromechanical testing techniques to assess the strength of the coating/bulk interfaces. At Oxford,

Angus Wilkinson is the lead investigator, and the project will employ Jicheng Gong, who is a highly

experienced PDRA in micromechanics of Ti and Zr.

4.5 ION IRRADIATION SIMULATION OF NEUTRON DAMAGE (DOE / EPSRC)This NEUP Integrated Research Project, led by Gary Was (U. Michigan) aims to develop capability to

predict the properties of structural materials after extremely high radiation exposure. Oxford and

Manchester are joint UK partners, with Oxford working on small-scale mechanical testing and APT, and

Manchester on X-ray techniques and ion-irradiation. The kick-off meeting was in March 2014, followed

by a workshop on Ion Irradiation. The meetings were attended by Steve Roberts, Michael Moody and

Mike Jenkins. A recruitment exercise for the associated PDRA at Oxford has been carried out, and we

are currently waiting for the preferred candidate to make a final decision. The first specimen set has

been received in Oxford, and awaits examination by APT; this will form part of Jing Hu’s D.Phil project.

4.6 RADIATE ( FERMILAB/STFC/PNNL)This collaborative project is led by Patrick Hurh of FermiLab, jointly with Chris Densham of STFC and

Steve Roberts. It aims to improve understanding of the radiation-induced degradation of targets and

other components in high-energy proton accelerators for generation of neutrons and neutrinos. The

primary materials of interest have been defined as graphite, beryllium and tungsten, with radiation-resistant steels and titanium alloys as secondary concerns. The project is in two stages:

1. An initial literature survey to understand how existing knowledge might be transferable to the

radiation environment in high-energy accelerators, coordinated by Colin English and Jonathan

Hyde (NNL), with assistance from Barry Jones (BazNuTech) and Barry Marsden (U.Manchester). This substantial study is now complete.

2. A three year research project employing a postdoc and possibly a research student to look at

radiation damage effects specifically in beryllium. The PDRA, Slava Kuksenko, started in January2014.

In the initial stages, monthly video-liked meetings of all partners, frequent email exchanges, and two

visits to the UK by Patrick Hurh, have defined the project direction, including setting up project specific

runs at accelerator facilities, and have brought in new partners (Brookhaven NL and Michigan State

University).

Currently Slava is working, in close collaboration with the University Safety Office, on setting up a

suitable laboratory and safety protocols to work on beryllium. This is now nearly completed. Material

has been ordered, and experiments should start soon, initially making microstructural studies of the

material, before moving on to micro-mechanical tests. Slava Kuksenko will attend the kick-off meeting

on 19/5/14, leading into a 4-day workshop on high-energy accelerator design.

The RaDIATE project is already acting as a catalyst for future collaborations between the radiation

damage, fusion energy, and high-energy accelerator research communities:


The proposal for the FETS facility as an irradiation source (section 4.3) arose directly from

discussion with RaDIATE;

We are looking into using ISIS tungsten targets as sources of irradiated tungsten; most lilely to

be handled within the NNUF (section 4.11)

The radiate partners are strongly supportive of TRITON (section 4.2)and FAFNIR (section 4.1).

4.7 RADIATION DAMAGE IN PEROVSKITES (EPSRC)This 3 ½ year collaborative project (EPSRC EP/K029770/1), with the Universities of Sheffield,

Huddersfield and Imperial, aims to understand radiation damage and amorphisation processes in

perovskite materials. It started on 1/4/14 and will combine advanced experimental characterisation

techniques with computer simulations. The project will be led by Paul Bagot, Neil Young and Phil

Edmondson (Oxford) and Karl Whittle (Sheffield). In Oxford, Stella Pedrazzini and Joven Lim have been

appointed as PDRAs on the project.

4.8 BEHAVIOUR OF FISSION PRODUCTS IN OXIDE NUCLEAR FUELS (EPSRC FELLOWSHIP)This five-year research fellowship (EPSRC EP/K030043/1) was awarded to Dr Phil Edmondson, a

former PDRA on the MFFP project, starting 1/8/13. The project, based at Oxford University Materials,

will examine the behaviour of fission products under irradiation in a model nuclear fuel simulant

(ceria) and in simulated and real spent nuclear fuel. These materials will be fully characterised, both

structurally and chemically, through a combination of transmission electron microscopy and atom

probe tomography, with the results being fed back to modellers to validate and/or benchmark

predictive models for in-core performance of the fuels, such as ENIGMA. The behaviour of

nanocrystalline materials under irradiation will also be investigated. Nanocrystalline materials may be

a viable route towards radiation tolerance, and may therefore improve safety, due to the high number

of grain boundaries and interfaces present acting as efficient sinks for defects. The ceria samples will be

provided by the Universities of Nebraksa and Sheffield, and the real/synthetic/simulated fuels samples

will be provided by the National Nuclear Laboratory.

4.9 MICRO-ENGINEERING ADVANCED ALLOYS FOR EXTREME NUCLEAR POWER

ENVIRONMENTS (RAENG FELLOWSHIP)This five-year research fellowship was awarded to Dr David Armstrong, a former PDRA on the MFFP

project, starting 1/9/13. The research aims to use micromechanical techniques, pioneered by Dr

Armstrong, to address important engineering questions in three classes of high temperature structural

alloys, ranging from materials already in service to those needed for future nuclear applications, and

will lead to the development of wholly new high temperature micro-mechanical testing techniques, of

broad applicability. In ascending order of challenge these are:

1. Understanding the effect of hydride phases in zirconium alloys;

2. Developing new creep and radiation tolerant oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels; and

3. Leading the development of new ultra-high temperature radiation-tolerant materials for

nuclear power.

These applications pose their own unique challenges - but can be linked because in each case, the

fundamental science and materials engineering questions can be addressed by the use of new high

temperature micro-mechanical testing techniques and simulated radiation damage. Micro-mechanical

testing generates a wealth of engineering relevant mechanical properties data from small material

volumes, increasing the efficiency and decreasing the cost of assessing many alloys and processing

routes. Use of ion beams to generate irradiation damage throughout the entire micro-mechanics test

volume due to the small scale, is also possible, giving a tremendous advantage over the huge costs,

timescales, and logistics of working with bulk radioactive materials from neutron irradiation tests.


4.10 FUSION CENTRE FOR DOCTORAL TRAINING

The bid headed by York University, inding Oxford, Manchester, Durham and Liverpool Universities, to

continue and expend the Fusion Doctoral Training Network (FDTN), to a full Centre for Doctoral

Training was successful. Funding is now secure for the next 5 years.

Oxford is now in its 3rd years as a full partner in the DTN/CDT. Three current students at Oxford are

funded through the CDT: Helen Pratt (1st yr), Kris Bhojwani and Francesco Ferroni (2nd yrs). Three

more students starting in October 2014 will be funded through the CDT: Robbie Abernethy, Glenn Jones

and Jack Haley.

The Fusion CDT taught courses (Given in the first 6 months of the CDT doctoral programme) consist of a

core set of courses and two separate strands in either plasma technology or materials science. Oxford

and Manchester are responsible for teaching the materials core courses and the specialist materials

strand. Courses are as follows:

1. Basics of material science: for all CDT students. October-November. Oxford lecturers. To be

given in York next year (was in previous years delivered remotely from Oxford; this proved

unpopular).

2. Materials applications in fusion technology: for all CDT students. November. Largely “guest”

lecturers from RAL, NNL, CCFE, and elsewhere. One-week intensive course at Oxford.

3. Radiation damage in materials: for materials-strand CDT students. November. Steve

Fitzgerald lectures and runs “hands-on” modelling. One-week intensive course at Oxford.

4. Analytical tools and their use in radiation damage studies: for materials-strand CDT

students. February. Oxford and Manchester lecturers. One-week intensive course at Oxford

(three days) and Manchester (two days).

5. Finite element method and design codes: for materials-strand CDT students. March.

Manchester lecturers. One-week intensive course at Manchester.

We plan next year to make the materials courses within the CDT available to any students at Oxford and

Manchester (and possibly outside) who would benefit from them.

4.11 CENTER FOR THE STABILITY OF RADIATION RESISTANT NANOSTRUCTURES (DOE)This application led by Idaho National Laboratory includes MIT, North Carolina State University, Idaho

State University, University of Arkansas, Northeastern University and Oxford. The application will

establish an Energy Frontier Research Center examining the stability of radiation resistant

nanostructures, in particular nanocrystalline alloys and bubble lattices – two areas of current research

within the greater MFFP group.

At Oxford, Phil Edmondson will be involved in both the nanocrystalline alloys and bubble lattice strands

using experimental methods to examine how these systems evolve under irradiation; Steve Fitzgerald

will use meso-scale modeling techniques to study and understand bubble lattice formation and stability.

This project will fund 3 doctoral students at Oxford.

4.12 BRISTOL-OXFORD NUCLEAR RESEARCH CENTRE

Peter Flewitt, Steve Roberts, James Marrow and Chris Grovenor are area leaders for various aspects of

this collaboratory “Centre”. Since the last AP report:

Bristol have secured funding for a physical location for the centre, associated with the Cabot

Institute at Bristol;

Bristol have secured substantial future resach funding in Nuclear Energy from EdF;

Peter Flewitt and Steve Roberts submitted a proposal to EPSRC for joint work on Radiation-

resistant nanocrystalline alloys; which unfortunately failed to get funding.


4.13 UK NATIONAL NUCLEAR USER FACILITY (NNUF)The aim of this facility is to enable the UK research community as a whole to more easily carry out

research using active materials. £15M was allocated for capital spending in this area, divided equallybetween the three centres involved:

1. NNL (Sellafield): a high activity MetPrep/FIB system, and active TEM;

2. Dalton Cumbria Facility: dual-beam ion-beam-irradiation system;

3. CCFE: lower activity MetPrep/FIB system, SEM and nanoindentation, to be housed in a newbuilding, the “materials research facility” (MRF).

It is also possible that the NNUF will act as a “library” of legacy and newly-produced active materials,

including, for example, surveillance specimens from the UK nuclear power industry. A meeting of NNUF

partners is planned for 10th June to set this in motion.

The equipment for the CCFE MRF has now been purchased, and has been installed in a “non-active”

location at CCFE pending construction of the MRF building. Researchers at Oxford are now making use

of it, via short (1-5 day) projects, with access costs negotiated with CCFE. These have been very useful

in giving quick “short concentrated burst” access to FIB time to enable works to be completed for

papers and theses.

4.14 SMALLER COLLABORATIONS / VISITS

4.14.1 ADVANCED PHOTON SOURCE (ARGONNE NL)Felix Hofmann and Christian Beck visited beamline 34-ID-E at the APS in March 2014. In collaboration

with beamline scientist Wenjun Liu they used micro-beam Laue diffraction to probe helium-induced

swelling in tungsten. Felix Hofmann visited again, in April 2014, to study helium-induced swelling in

tungsten as a function of heat treatment temperature in single crystals and at grain boundaries.

4.14.2 LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY

Ed Tarleton visited LLNL (California), from April 28th - May 9th as part of a collaboration with Jaime

Marian et al to combine ParaDiS 3D dislocation dynamics, crystal plasticity and quasicontinuum

modelling developments for simulating micromechanics experiments.

4.14.3 CENIM-CSICGemma Pimental from the Materalia group, Department of Physical Metallurgy, National Center for

Metallurgical Research (CENIM-CSIC), Madrid, Spain visited Liverpool University for three months

during the Summer of 2013 to carry out electron microscopy of ODS alloys.

4.14.4 HZDR, DRESDEN, GERMANY.Isabell Hilger of HZDR visited Oxford 16th March – 11th April to work with Mike Gorley and others on

collaborative APT studies into ODS alloys. APT was used to correlate the variations in nano-cluster size

distribution with changes in milling time and yttria content. A strong correlation was found to previous

SANS data providing validation for both techniques and providing additional information on the spatial

distribution of the nano-clusters and their composition. An increase in nano-cluster number density

with higher yttria content and milling times was found.


5 OUTREACH AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

The MFFP programme grant now has established a regular series of workshops on topics related to

nuclear materials. Typically there are 12 invited speakers and two substantial poster and discussion

sessions to which all attendees are encouraged to contribute. In September 2014, we will run a

workshop on “Zirconium for Nuclear Applications”. Registration is now open.

In response to the suggestion made by the AP at the last meeting, we are planning a “showcase” one-day

meeting for the MFFP project on December 10th 2014, aimed at the wider UK industrial and academic

nuclear community. A first invitation will be sent out after discussion at this AP meeting.

Steve Fitzgerald is organising a two-day meeting in Oxford in September 2014 to celebrate Alan Head’s

pioneering contributions to dislocation mechanics, and to discuss the future directions the field could

take. Day one of the meeting will comprise invited talks from established and highly experienced

researchers from the dislocation mechanics community, who will be encouraged to include personal

reminiscences of the late Alan Head in their technical and pedagogical presentations. Day two will take

the more conventional form of contributed shorter talks and posters.

Steve Roberts is featured in Oxford University’s materials science admissions video1, gave an invited

talk at on “Materials challenges for fusion power” at the Institute of Physics ‘Realising fusion power:

Recent advances and future research paths' meeting on 25/11/2013 at the IOP, and gave a talk on

Materials for Fusion at the Culham fusion PhD open day on 12/12/13. Steve Roberts is as of November

2013 on the committee of the IoP Energy Group. David Armstrong took part in the Parliamentary

Science and Technology Committee’s meeting 'Voice of the Future 2014' on 19/3/2014 (part of

National Science & Engineering Week 2014)2, and gave a talk on Fusion Power to the Richmond Science

Society in January 2014. Maria Auger will be hosting a local GCSE student on a “work experience” week

in June 2014. MFFP research students are continuing to help with CCFE “Sundome” sessions at local

primary schools.

1 http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/courses/materials_science/materials_science.html2 http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/science-and-technology-committee/news/voice-of-future-2014/ : David Armstrong speaks at about 10:13:30.


APPENDIX D: PAPERS NOV. 2013 - MAY 2014

PAPERS SUBMITTED

1. Auger, M.A., de Castro, V., Leguey, T., Tarcisio-Costa, J., Monge, M.A., Muñoz, A., Pareja, R., Effect of

yttrium addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ODS RAF steels”, submitted to J.

Nuclear Materials.

2. De Castro, V. Briceno, M., Lozano-Perez, S., Trocellier, P., Roberts, S.G., Pareja, R.,“TEM characterization

of simultaneous triple ion implanted ODS Fe12Cr” submitted to J. Nuclear Materials.

3. Mason, D.R., Yi, X., Kirk, M.A., Dudarev, S.L., “Elastic trapping of dislocation loops in cascades in ion-

irradiated tungsten foils”, submitted to New J. Phys.

4. Nguyen-Manh, D., Ma, P.W., Lavrentiev, Yu.M., Dudarev, S.L., “Constrained non-collinear magnetism in

disordered Fe and Fe-Cr alloys”, submitted to Annals for Nuclear Energy.

5. Sand A.E., Nordlund K., Dudarev, S.L., “Radiation damage production in massive cascades initiated by

fusion neutrons in tungsten” submitted to J. Nuclear Materials.

6. Tarleton, E.K., Balint, D., Wilkinson, A.J., Gong, J., “A discrete dislocation plasticity study of size effects in

micro-cantilevers”, submitted to Acta Materialia.

PAPERS ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION

1. Auger, M.A., Leguey, T., de Castro, V., Monge, M.A., Pareja, R., “Microstructure and mechanical

properties of a ODS Fe14Cr model alloy processed by ECAP”, accepted by Materials Science and

Technology.

2. Dawson K., Cater, S., Tatlock, G.J., Stanhope, C., “Friction stir welding of PM2000 ODS alloy”, accepted by

Materials Science and Technology.

3. Ferroni, F., Tarleton, E.K., and Fitzgerald, S.P., “GPU-accelerated dislocation dynamics” accepted by

Journal of Computational Physics.

4. Lozano-Perez, S., Meisnar, M., Dohr, J., Kruska, K., “SCC in PWRs: learning from a bottom-up approach”,

accepted by Met. Trans. E.

5. Meisnar, M., Lozano-Perez, S., Moody, M., Holland, J., “Low-energy EDX – a novel approach to study

stress corrosion cracking in SUS304 stainless steel via scanning electron microscopy”, accepted by

Micron.

6. Stork, D., Agostini, P., Boutard, J.-L., Buckthorpe, D., Diegele, E., Dudarev, S.L., English, C., Federici, G.,

Gilbert, M.R., Gonzalez, S., Ibarra, A., Linsmeier, C., Puma, A.L., Marbach, G., Packer, L.W., Raj, B., Rieth,

M., Tran, M.Q., Ward, D.J., Zinkle, S.J., “ Materials R&D for a timely DEMO: Key findings and

recommendations of the EU Roadmap Materials Assessment Group”, accepted by Fusion Engineering

and Design.

7. Stratulat, A., Duff, J. and Marrow, T.J., “ Grain boundary structure and intergranular stress corrosion

crack initiation in high temperature water of a thermally sensitised austenitic stainless steel, observed in

situ., accepted by Corrosion Science.


PAPERS PUBLISHED

1. Aubry, S., Fitzgerald, S.P., Arsenlis, A., “Methods to compute dislocation line tension energy and force in

anisotropic elasticity”, Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering, 22(1): 015001

(2014).

2. Barrera, O., Tarleton, E., Cocks, A.C.F., “A micromechanical image-based model for the featureless zone

of a Fe-Ni dissimilar weld”, Philosophical Magazine, 94 (12), 1361- 1377 (2014).

3. Borrego, J.M., Blázquez, J.S., Lozano-Pérez, S., Conde, C.F., Conde, A., “Structural relaxation in

Fe(Co)SiAlGaPCB amorphous alloys”, J. Alloys and Compounds 584, 607-610 (2014)

4. Britton, T.B., Jiang, J., Clough, R., Tarleton, E.K., Kirkland, A.I., Wilkinson, A.J., “Assessing the precision of

strain measurements using electron backscatter diffraction - Part 2: Experimental demonstration”,

Ultramicroscopy, 135, 136-141 (2013).

5. Britton, T.B., Jiang, J., Clough, R., Tarleton, E.K., Kirkland, A.I., Wilkinson, A.J., Assessing the precision of

strain measurements using electron backscatter diffraction - part 1: Detector assessment,

Ultramicroscopy, 135, 126-135 (2013).

6. Dawson, K., Tatlock, G.J., “Characterisation of nano-sized oxides in ODM401 ODS steel”, J. Nuclear

Materials 444 (1–3), 252-260 (2014).

7. De Castro, V., Rodrigo, P., Marquis, E.A., Lozano-Perez, S., “Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Fe-12Cr Steel

in Three Dimensions: an Electron Tomography Study”, J. Nuclear Materials 444(1-3), 416 (2014).

8. Donnelly, S.E.,Greaves, G., Hinks, J., Pawley, C., Beaufort, M., Barbot,J., Oliviero, E., Webb, R., (2014) “In-

situ TEM studies of ion-irradiation induced bubble development and mechanical deformation in model

nuclear materials”, MRS Proceedings, 1645. ISSN 1946-4274 (2014).

9. Dudarev, S.L., Arakawa, K., Yi, X., Yao, Z., Jenkins, M.L., Gilbert, M.R., Derlet, P.M., “Spatial ordering of

nano-dislocation loops in ion-irradiated materials”, J. Nuclear Materials 455 16–20 (2014).

10. Edmondson, P.D., Parish, C.M., Li, Q., Miller, M.K., “Thermal stability of nanoscale helium bubbles in a

14YWT nanostructured ferritic alloy”, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 445(1-3), 84-90 (2014).

11. El-Atwani, O., Hinks, J.A., Greaves, G., Gonderman, S., Qiu, T.,Efe, M., J. P. Allain, J.A., “In-situ TEM

observation of the response of ultrafine- and nanocrystalline-grained tungsten to extreme irradiation

environments”, Scientific Reports 4, Article number: 4716 doi:10.1038/srep04716, (2014)

12. Ferroni, F., Tarleton, E.K., Fitzgerald, S.P. “Dislocation dynamics modelling of radiation damage in thin

films”, Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering, 22(4): 045009 (2014).

13. Gibson, J., Armstrong, D.E.J., Roberts, S.G., “The micro-mechanical properties of ion irradiated

tungsten”, Physica Scripta T159 014056 (2014).

14. Gilbert, M.R. , Dudarev, S.L., Nguyen-Manh, D., Zheng, S., Packer, L.W., Sublet, J.-Ch., “Neutron-induced

dpa, transmutations, gas production, and helium embrittlement of fusion materials”, J. Nuclear

Materials, 442, (1-3), S755-S760 (2013).

15. Hilger, I., Tegel, M., Gorley, M.J., Grant, P.S., Weißgärber, T., Kieback, B., “The structural changes of Y2O3

in ferritic ODS alloys during milling”, J. Nuclear Materials 447 (1-3), 242-247 (2014).

16. Kolluri, M., Edmondson, P.D., Luzginova, N.V., Berg, F., “A structure-property correlation study of

neutron irradiation induced damage in EU batch of ODS Eurofer97 steel”, Materials Science and

Engineering A597, 111-116 (2014).

17. Körmann, F., Al Hasan Breidi, A., Dudarev, S.L., Dupin, N., Ghosh, G., Hickel, T., Korzhavyi, P., Muñoz, J.A.,

Ohnuma, I., “Lambda transitions in materials science: Recent advances in CALPHAD and first-principles

modelling” Phys. Status Solidi B 251, No. 1, 53–80 (2014).

18. Lasithiotakis, M., Marsden, B.J., Marrow, T.J., Annealing of ion irradiation damage in nuclear graphite, J.

Nuclear Materials, 434 (1-3), 334-346 (2013).

19. Liu, D., Mostafavi, M., Flewitt, P.E.J., Marrow, T.J., Smith, D. “Fracture characterisation of reactor core

graphite under biaxial loading”, Key Engineering Materials, 577-578, 485-488. (2014).


20. Martínez, J., Savoini, B., Monge, M.A., Muñoz, A., Armstrong, D.E.J., Pareja, R., “Thermal stability of the

grain structure in the W-2V and W-2V-0.5 Y2O3 alloys produced by hot isostatic pressing”, Fusion

Engineering and Design 88 (9), 2636-2640, (2013).

21. Mostafavi, M., McDonald, S.A., Çetinel, H., Mummery, P.M., Marrow, T.J., Flexural strength and defect

behaviour of polygranular graphite under different states of stress, Carbon, 59, 325-336 (2013).

22. Mostafavi, M., McDonald, S.A., Mummery, P.M., Marrow, T.J., Observation and quantification of three-

dimensional crack propagation in poly-granular graphite, Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 110, 410-420

(2013).

23. Mostafavi, M., Vertyagina, Y., Reinhard, C., Bradley, R., Jiang, X., Galano, M., Marrow, T.J., “3D studies of

indentation by combined X-ray tomography and digital volume correlation”, Key Engineering Materials,

592-593, 14-21 (2014).

24. Ribis, J., Lozano-Perez, S., “Nano-cluster stability following neutron irradiation in MA957 oxide

dispersion strengthened material”, J. Nuclear Materials 444 (1-3), 314-322 (2014)

25. Rieth, M., Dudarev, S.L., Gonzalez De Vicente, S.M., Aktaa, J., Ahlgren, T., Antusch, S., Armstrong, D.E.J.,

Balden, M., Baluc, N., Barthe, M.-F., Basuki, W.W., Battabyal, M., Becquart, C.S., Blagoeva, D.,

Boldyryeva, H., Brinkmann, J., Celino, M., Ciupinski, L., Correia, J.B., De Backer, A., Domain, C.,

Gaganidze, E., Garcia-Rosales, C., Gibson, J., Gilbert, M.R., Giusepponi, S., Gludovatz, B., Greuner, H.,

Heinola, K., Höschen, T., Hoffmann, A., Holstein, N., Koch, F., Krauss, W., Li, H., Lindig, S., Linke, J.,

Linsmeier, C., Lopez-Ruiz, P., Maier, H., Matejicek, J., Mishra, T.P., Muhammed, M., Munoz, A., Muzyk,

M., Nordlund, K., Nguyen-Manh, D., Opschoor, J., Ordas, N., Palacios, T., Pintsuk, G., Pippan, R., Reiser,

J., Riesch, J., Roberts, S.G., Romaner, L., Rosiński, M., Sanchez, M., Schulmeyer, W., Traxler, H., Urena, A.,

Van Der Laan, J.G., Veleva, L., Wahlberg, S., Walter, M., Weber, T., Weitkamp, T., Wurster, S., Yar, M.A.,

You, J.H., Zivelonghi, A., “A brief summary of the progress on the EFDA tungsten materials program”, J.

Nuclear Materials 442 (1), S173-S180 (2013).

26. Surrey, E., Porton, M., Findlay, D., Letchworth, A., Davenne, T., Thomason, J., Roberts, S.G., Seryi, A.,

Marrow, T.J., Connolly, B., Owen, H., “Application of accelerator based neutron sources in fusion

materials research”, IEEE 25th Symposium on Fusion Engineering, SOFE 2013, art. no. 6635385 (2013).

27. Zhang, Y., Aidhy, D S., Varga, T., Moll, S., Edmondson, P.D., Namavar, F., Jin, K., Ostrouchov, C.N., Weber,

W.J., “The role of electronic energy loss on irradiation-induced grain growth in nanocrystalline oxides”,

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 16, 8501 (2014).

28. Zhang, Y., Varga, T., Ishimaru, M., Edmondson, P.D., Xue, H., Liu, P., Moll, S., Namavar, F., Hardiman, C.,

Shannon, S., Weber, W.J., “Competing effects of electronic and nuclear energy loss on microstructural

evolution in ionic-covalent materials”, Nuclear Instruments and Methods B, 327, 33 (2014).


APPENDIX E: CONFERENCES NOV. 2013-MAY 20141. Armstrong, D.E.J., “Micro cantilever bending and nanoindentation from -30°C to 770°C for nuclear

applications”, invited talk, 13th European Nanomechanical User Group Meeting, Oxford UK, December 2013.

2. Armstrong, D.E.J., “Micro-mechanical testing of ion irradiation damage at elevated temperatures”, invited

talk, CAMTEC III, Cambridge, UK, April 2014.

3. Auger, M.A. “Atom Probe Tomography of ODS Fe-14Cr model alloys”, Poster, George Smith Symposium,

Oxford, April 2014.

4. Bhojwani, K. and Gorley, M. attended the ODISSEUS workshop, HZDR Dresden, Germany, 9-10 December

2013.

5. Boegelein, T., Dryepondt, S.N., Dawson, K., Pandey, A., Tatlock, G.J., “Mechanical testing of ferritic oxide

dispersion strengthened steel structures produced by selective laser melting”, talk, TMS 2014 San Diego, CA,

USA, 16-20 February 2014.

6. Dagan, M.: 2013 European atom probe workshop, ,ETH Zurich, 21-23 October 2013. Poster

7. Dagan, M.: The 5th School on Atom Probe Tomography, University of Rouen, 14-18 October 2013. Poster.

8. Dohr, J., Lozano-Perez, S., “Understanding the failure of oxidized grain boundaries”, talk, Microscopy of

Oxidation 9 conference, Nottingham (UK), 14th-16th April 2014

9. Donnelly, S.E., “Recent in-situ TEM Studies of Ion-Irradiated Materials Using the MIAMI Facility at the

University of Huddersfield ", invited talk, MRS meeting San Francisco, 21-25 April 2014.

10. Donnelly, S.E., “In-situ TEM studies of ion-irradiation induced bubble development and mechanical

deformation in model nuclear materials”, invited talk at the MRS Fall meeting, Boston, MA, USA. 2013.

11. Donnelly, S.E., “MIAMI Facility at the University of Huddersfield”, Poster at the Workshop on Ion Irradiation,

University of Michigan, 18-21 March, 2014.

12. Dudarev, S.L. : "Elastic fields and Brownian motion of nano-defects in irradiated materials", invited talk, MRS

meeting San Francisco, 21-25 April 2014.

13. Edmondson, P.D., “A multi-technique approach to characterisation of radiation effects in tungsten”, talk at

the IAEA Satellite Meeting at ICFRM-16. Beijing, China, 2013.

14. Edmondson, P.D., “Bubble lattice formation mechanisms in metals”, talk at the MRS Fall meeting, Boston,

MA, USA. 2013.

15. Edmondson, P.D., “Ion beam modification of nanostructures binary oxide ceramics for energy applications”,

invited talk at Energy Materials and Nanotechnology Fall meeting. Orlando, FL, USA, 2013.

16. Ferroni, F., Tarleton , E.K., Fitzgerald, S.P., “DDD simulations of radiation damage in thin films”, talk at the

MRS Fall meeting 2013, Boston USA December 2013.

17. Fitzgerald, S.P., “Anisotropic elasticity and dislocations”, seminar at Lille University, April 2014.

18. Fitzgerald, S.P., “Dislocation climb under irradiation”, talk at the MRS Fall meeting 2013, Boston USA

December 2013.

19. Fitzgerald, S.P., “Quantum and classical migration of crowdions” , talk at the MRS Fall meeting 2013, Boston

USA December 2013.

20. Fitzgerald, S.P., “The effect of elastic anisotropy on dislocation pile-ups and Walls, talk at Dislocations

Workshop at Oxford Maths Dept., April 2014.

21. Gibson, J., “High-Temperature Nanoindentation of Helium-Implanted Tungsten”, talk at MRS Spring Meeting ,

San Francisco, USA, 21-25 April 2014.

22. Gibson, J., “High-Temperature Nanoindentation of Ion-Irradiated Tungsten”, talk at the Universities Nuclear

Technology Forum, Oxford, UK, 14-16 April 2014.

23. Gorley M.J., attended the IOP energy group workshop on Realising Fusion Power: Recent advances and future

research paths, London, November 2013.

24. Gorley M.J., attended the Universities Nuclear Technology Forum 2014” University of Oxford, Oxford, April

2014.

25. Gorley M.J., Grant, P.S., Roberts, S.G., “ODS alloys, the Oxford Journey: From milled powders to high strength

alloy” invited talk at ODISSEUS metting, HZDR, Dresden, Germany, December 2013


26. Grieveson, E., talk at ODISSEUS (Oxide DIspersion Strengthened Steels group of young EUropean Scientists)

workshop, HZDR Dresden, Germany, 9-10 December 2013.

27. Hofmann, F., "Characterization of helium-implantation-induced changes in tungsten for fusion applications",

talk at MRS Spring Meeting , San Francisco, USA, 21-25 April 2014.

28. Hofmann, F., "X-ray micro-beam characterization of atomic scale material defects", invited talk at APS user

meeting, 12-15 May 2014

29. Li, B.-S., Plummer, K., Hewitt, L. and Pratt, H. attended the “Solid Mechanics for Nanoscientists CNRS

Gradschool”, Autrans, France – 16 to 21 March 2014.

30. Lozano-Perez, S., “High-resolution characterization of trapped Hydrogen” presented as talk and poster, ICG-

EAC 2014 meeting, Prague (Czech Republic), 7th-11th April 2014

31. Marrow, T.J., “3D cellular automata finite element (CAFE) modelling and experimental observation of damage

in quasi-brittle nuclear materials: Indentation of a SiC-SiCfibre ceramic matrix composite”, talk at OECD-NEA

EGISM SMINS-3, Idaho Falls, USA October 2013.

32. Marrow, T.J., Tomkins, B., “The role of UK structural integrity research in the European fast neutron reactor

programme”, talk at TAGSI/FESI Symposium: Structural Integrity of Nuclear Power Plant - learning from

history and looking to the future, TWI, Abingdon UK, April 2013.

33. Meisnar, M., Lozano-Perez, S., “Using high-resolution analytical TEM to study stress corrosion cracking in

stainless steels”; talk, Microscopy of Oxidation 9 conference, Nottingham (UK), 14th-16th April 2014

34. Nguyen-Manh, D., “A first-principles model for the effect of He and inert-gas damages on mechanical

properties of tungsten alloys”; talk, TMS 2014 meeting, San Diego, USA, 18-19 February 2014

35. Nguyen-Manh, D., “Inert-gas defects in bcc transition metals: Systematic trends and experimental

validations”; invited talk at Ruhr-Bochum University, Germany, 12 December 2013.

36. Nguyen-Manh, D., “Origin of observed swelling in tungsten from inert-gas implantation: An ab-initio model”;

report at EFDA Meeting, Garching, Germany, 12 February 2014.

37. Nguyen-Manh, D: “First-principles models for radiation damage in D-T fusion power plants”; talk, TMS 2014

meeting, San Diego, USA, 18-19 February 2014

38. Roberts, S.G. attended CAMTEC III, Cambridge, UK, April 2014.

39. Roberts, S.G., “Ion irradiation for radiation damage studies: mimicking neutron damage?”, invited talk at the

Workshop on Ion Irradiation, University of Michigan, 18-21 March, 2014.

40. Roberts, S.G., “Materials challenges for fusion power”, invited talk at “Realising fusion power: Recent

advances and future research paths”, Institute of Physics, London, 25 November 2013.

41. Roberts, S.G., “Micromechanical testing”, invited talk at the Workshop on Ion Irradiation, University of

Michigan, 18-21 March, 2014.

42. Saucedo, L., Marrow, T.J., “3D cellular automata finite element method to model quasi brittle fracture”, talk

at ESIA12: Engineering Structural Integrity Assessment: where are we today?, Manchester, UK , 28-29 May

2013.

43. Swinburne, T., Dudarev, S.L., Fitzgerald, S.P., Sutton, A.P., “Stochastic Dislocation Dynamics”, poster at the

Schöntal Symposium - Dislocation based Plasticity, Kloster Schöntal, Germany, February 24-28, 2014.

44. Tarleton, E.K., “'Simulating micromechanical tests using discrete dislocation plasticity”, invited talk,

Dislocations workshop, Maths Institute, Oxford, March 27th 2014.,

45. Tarleton, E.K., attended Schöntal Symposium - Dislocation based Plasticity, Kloster Schöntal, Germany,

February 24-28, 2014.

46. Tarleton, E.K., poster, “A discrete dislocation plasticity study of size effects in Micro-cantilevers”, CAMTEC III,

Cambridge, UK, April 2014.

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