| Abstract Scope |
Advanced nuclear reactor concepts demand materials that can survive coupled extreme environments well beyond that of current reactor fleet and often for the lifetime of the reactor. The multi-length scale and predictive models exploring the response of new proposed alloys and composites have made great strides, but are often limited by the lack of experimental results to provide the necessary validation. This presentation will highlight the potential of combining ion beam analysis and optics, laser heating and analysis, electron microscopy, small-scale mechanical testing, as well as microfluidic environmental control to rapidly screen new alloy systems. This ability to study small samples of metal alloys in extremely controlled radiation, thermal, mechanical, magnetic, chemical, or combinations thereof permits high-throughput testing and characterization of materials for nuclear applications. The current state of the field in coupled extreme environmental testing and the capabilities being developed at Tennessee Ion Beam Laboratory will be presented. |