Mechanics of Nanoporous W under irradiation

Fusion reactors demand materials capable of withstanding unprecedented extreme conditions.

Refractory-based nanoporous metals offer a combination of mechanical and radiation performance that makes them ideal potential candidates for nuclear applications.

Introducing a new material for this application requires characterizing its response under the extreme environment of fusion reactors; however, experimental testing facilities allowing to perform tests under these conditions are extremely limited.

Modelling and simulation emerge as a valuable tool, allowing to replace many of such tests by simulations, and will become drivers in fusion materials development.The MeNaWir project aims at shedding light into elusive aspects of the mechanical behaviour of nanoporous refractory metals, focusing on nanoporous tungsten (np-W) and the effect of radiation damage on its mechanical properties.

This will be accomplished by building a multiscale computational framework for the exploration of the mechanical properties of nanoporous metals for nuclear applications.

This framework will encompass state-of-the-art modelling techniques from different fields, including Fast Fourier Transform Crystal Plasticity simulations, radiation damage models and plasticity at the nanoscale.

To achieve this goal, MeNaWir brings together a researcher with expertise in nanoporous metals and materials modelling at the atomistic scale with a world-recognized supervisor with expertise in modelling the non-linear behaviour and fracture of complex microstructures at the continuum scale and a research institute with a record of excellence, technology transfer, and top-level training in Materials Science.

The specific objectives are to develop a framework for the computational assessment of nanoporous materials for the nuclear industry and to provide a window of optimal np-microstructures to guide the fabrication of np-W parts. MeNaWir could lastingly impact innovation on materials for fusion.