A NEA review on innovative structural materials solutions, including advanced manufacturing processes for nuclear applications based on technology readiness assessment

Abstract The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Expert Group on Innovative Structural Materials (EGISM) was established in 2008 under the guidance of the Nuclear Science Committee (NSC). Its objectives are to conduct joint and comparative studies to support the development, selection and characterisation of innovative structural materials that can be implemented in advanced nuclear fuel cycles, under long service lifetime and extreme conditions, such as high temperature, high dose/dose rate and corrosive chemical environments. In this context of growing interest and initiatives, the EGISM initiated at the beginning of 2018 an activity among its members to: • Identify, in a non-exhaustive way, the currently existing programs on innovative materials and fabrication processes in NEA member countries and China; • Establish a first cartography of the activities that are underway on these topics and identify common subjects and thematic; • Propose a Technology Readiness Level scale to estimate the maturity of both innovative materials and fabrication processes; • Carry out a reflection on what the enablers are to quickly climb this TRL scale, as well as the obstacles, in order to identify solutions to overcome them. This paper first gives definitions shared between the EGISM members on what are considered as advanced structural materials solutions. Next, some international initiatives for the accelerated development of high performance materials are presented both in non-nuclear and nuclear fields. Then, the methodology adopted for technology readiness assessment is explained. A non-exhaustive synthesis of the projects identified among the EGISM members on innovative structural materials and advanced manufacturing solutions such as additive manufacturing is presented. The TRL level of these projects is evaluated. A focus is also made on some of these projects to illustrate and explain the TRLs chosen as well as highlighting enablers or obstacles identified to climbing up the TRL scale.

[1]  S. Zinkle,et al.  Motivation for utilizing new high-performance advanced materials in nuclear energy systems , 2016 .

[2]  L. Malerba,et al.  Effect of processing on microstructural features and mechanical properties of a reduced activation ferritic/martensitic EUROFER steel grade , 2017 .

[3]  State-of-the-Art Report on Light Water Reactor Accident-Tolerant Fuels , 2018, Nuclear Science.

[4]  W. J. Weber,et al.  Thermal stability and irradiation response of nanocrystalline CoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy , 2019, Nanotechnology.

[5]  Nicolas Castin,et al.  Introducing ab initio-based neural networks for transition-rate prediction in kinetic Monte Carlo simulations , 2017 .

[6]  A. Davydov,et al.  Predicting synthesizability. , 2019, Journal of physics D: Applied physics.

[7]  R. Boichot,et al.  High-temperature oxidation resistance of chromium-based coatings deposited by DLI-MOCVD for enhanced protection of the inner surface of long tubes , 2018, Surface and Coatings Technology.

[8]  John C. Mankins,et al.  Technology readiness assessments: A retrospective , 2009 .

[9]  S. Koyama,et al.  Microstructure and high-temperature strength of high Cr ODS tempered martensitic steels , 2013 .

[10]  M. Ziętala,et al.  The microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of 316 L stainless steel fabricated using laser engineered net shaping , 2016 .

[11]  J. Busby,et al.  Status Report on Structural Materials for Advanced Nuclear Systems , 2013 .

[12]  R. Banerjee,et al.  Additive manufacturing of metals: a brief review of the characteristic microstructures and properties of steels, Ti-6Al-4V and high-entropy alloys , 2017, Science and technology of advanced materials.

[13]  T. Inoue,et al.  Ultra-high temperature creep rupture and transient burst strength of ODS steel claddings , 2019, Journal of Nuclear Materials.

[14]  D. Raabe,et al.  Strong and Ductile Non-equiatomic High-Entropy Alloys: Design, Processing, Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties , 2017, JOM.

[15]  P. Rivera-Díaz-del-Castillo,et al.  Evolutionary design of strong and stable high entropy alloys using multi-objective optimisation based on physical models, statistics and thermodynamics , 2018 .

[16]  W. Weber,et al.  Coupled electronic and atomic effects on defect evolution in silicon carbide under ion irradiation , 2017 .

[17]  Steven J. Zinkle,et al.  Materials Challenges in Nuclear Energy , 2013 .

[18]  S. Zinkle,et al.  Opportunities and limitations for ion beams in radiation effects studies: Bridging critical gaps between charged particle and neutron irradiations , 2018 .

[19]  E. Schweitzer,et al.  AREVA NP's enhanced accident-tolerant fuel developments: Focus on Cr-coated M5 cladding , 2018 .

[20]  F. Tancret.  Limitations of ICME and ICMS due to Variability – Alternative Strategies for Alloy Design , 2014 .

[21]  Alessandro Fortunato,et al.  Effect of Selective Laser Melting (SLM) process parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties of 316L austenitic stainless steel , 2017 .

[22]  M. Rieth,et al.  European materials development: Results and perspective , 2019, Fusion engineering and design.

[23]  I. Toda-Caraballo,et al.  Computational design of light and strong high entropy alloys (HEA): Obtainment of an extremely high specific solid solution hardening , 2018, Scripta Materialia.

[24]  Lorenzo Malerba,et al.  Effect of W and N on mechanical properties of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic EUROFER-based steel grades , 2018 .

[25]  X. Shao,et al.  Morphologies, microstructures, and mechanical properties of samples produced using laser metal deposition with 316 L stainless steel wire , 2017 .

[26]  M. Inoue,et al.  Progress in the R and D Project on Oxide Dispersion Strengthened and Precipitation Hardened Ferritic Steels for Sodium Cooled Fast Breeder Reactor Fuels , 2007 .

[27]  Lorenzo Malerba,et al.  Advanced atomistic models for radiation damage in Fe-based alloys: Contributions and future perspectives from artificial neural networks , 2018, Computational Materials Science.

[28]  T. Shun,et al.  Nanostructured High‐Entropy Alloys with Multiple Principal Elements: Novel Alloy Design Concepts and Outcomes , 2004 .

[29]  T. Lienert,et al.  Corrosion Characteristics of Laser-Engineered Net Shaping Additively-Manufactured 316L Stainless Steel , 2018, JOM.

[30]  T. Lienert,et al.  Tensile properties and microstructure of additively manufactured Grade 91 steel for nuclear applications , 2021, Journal of Nuclear Materials.

[31]  F. Maury,et al.  Emerging processes for metallurgical coatings and thin films , 2018, Comptes Rendus Physique.

[32]  Pascal Yvon,et al.  Structural materials for next generation nuclear systems: Challenges and the path forward , 2015 .

[33]  R. Kelly,et al.  Corrosion of Additively Manufactured Alloys: A Review , 2018, CORROSION.

[34]  R. Stieglitz,et al.  Oxidation behavior and microstructure evolution of alumina-forming austenitic & high entropy alloys in steam environment at 1200 °C , 2020 .

[35]  T. Lienert,et al.  Laser Additive Manufacturing of F/M Steels for Radiation Tolerant Nuclear Components , 2017 .

[36]  D. Choudhuri,et al.  Tensile yield strength of a single bulk Al0.3CoCrFeNi high entropy alloy can be tuned from 160 MPa to 1800 MPa , 2019, Scripta Materialia.

[37]  A. Billard,et al.  Early studies on Cr-Coated Zircaloy-4 as enhanced accident tolerant nuclear fuel claddings for light water reactors , 2019, Journal of Nuclear Materials.

[38]  M. Seki,et al.  Pressurized resistance welding technology development in 9Cr-ODS martensitic steels , 2004 .

[39]  S. Zinkle,et al.  Evaluation of irradiation facility options for fusion materials research and development , 2013 .