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Mechanical Behavior and Radiation Effects Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering |
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This
activity focuses on understanding the mechanical behavior of materials
under static and dynamic stresses and the effects of radiation on
materials properties and behavior. The
objective is to understand the defect-behavior relationship at an atomic
level and to develop predictive models to enable designing materials with
desirable properties. In the area of
mechanical behavior, the research aims to advance understanding of
deformation and fracture, effects of environment and stress, friction and
wear, phase transformation, high-temperature intergranular cracking in
metallic alloys, and ductile-to-brittle transition without structural
change.
In the area of radiation effects, the research aims to advance
understanding of mechanisms of amorphization (transition from crystalline
to a non-crystalline phase), understand mechanisms of radiation damage,
predict and learn how to suppress radiation damage, develop
radiation-tolerant materials, and modify surfaces by ion implantation. This activity represents a major fraction of federally supported basic research in mechanical behavior and is the sole source of basic research in radiation damage. In the science of mechanical behavior, cutting-edge experimental and computational tools are bringing about a renaissance, such that researchers are now beginning to develop unified, first-principles models of deformation, fracture, and damage. The compelling need for understanding deformation mechanisms is related to the fact that virtually all structural metals utilized in energy systems are fabricated to desired forms and shapes by deformation processes. The compelling need in radiation effects - for valid predictive models to forecast the long-term degradation of reactor components and radioactive waste hosts - is expected to become increasingly critical over the next decade. Radiation tolerance of structural metals and insulating ceramics is also a matter of great concern for fusion energy systems For more information about this core research activity, please contact Dr. John Vetrano. Click here for information on other core research activities supported by BES.
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Last Modified 07/27/2008
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