Radiation Dense Materials at the University of Warwick
Radiation-Dense Materials
The state of the art of Radiation Dense Materials
Research on a variety of radiation-dense materials is performed in this group with a focus on the borides and carbides of tungsten. Research themes cover a range of topics from the fundamental characterization of radiation response through to the processability of radiation-dense materials for use as compact radiation shielding.
Materials of interest include Cemented Tungsten Carbides (cWCs) and Reactive Sintered Borides (RSBs) alongside materials that they will interact with in the context of a practical fusion reactor. These include but are not limited to:
- Low-activation steels
- W metal and W-alloys
- Cu and Cu alloys
Alongside the development and testing of low-activation cWCs and RSBs, this group also investigates low-activation joining methods for cWCs and RSBs to reactor-relevant materials, including Cu and low-activation steels alongside joining methods to themselves and W-alloys.
Radiation studies in silico and experimental work are critical aspects of this project and this group also is the Local Office for access to the FISPACT-II codes for simulating radiation response.
These interests span a wide range of condensed matter physics with a focus on multiscale characterization and structure-property relationships within materials.
Current research themes:
- Thermal analysis of different cWC, RSB and tungsten boride compounds
- Optimization of sintering studies for fully dense cWC-RSB materials
- X-ray studies of sintered and oxidized cWC-RSB materials
- Single-crystal WBx growth for evaluation, radiation response and improving the tractability of borides
- Low-activation joining methods for practical reactor configurations
- Effect of temperature on radiation effects
Low activation cWCs and RSBs have the potential to be suitable compact radiation materials that can also withstand extreme conditions within a power-generating fusion reactor. RSB materials are strategically significant to fusion power due to their high tungsten boron content and because they do not significantly activate under neutron and gamma irradiation.
Image of sintered (a) RSB31C9 and (b) 6wt% FeCr-cWC sintered by Hyperion MT based on materials designed in this work. Demonstrating the traceability and industrialization of cWCs and RSBs is a critical factor in ensuring that these materials are practical options for nuclear shielding.