Nanoclusters in steel add strength, stability under irradiated conditions
Safely containing and retarding the mobility of reactor fuels are longstanding U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Defense concerns, making the radiation stability of the materials used for structural components and fuel cladding critically important. In this study, scientists used various analysis tools, including EMSL's atom probe tomography (APT), focused ion beam, and accelerator capabilities, to examine complex oxide nanoclusters within oxide dispersion strengthened, or ODS, steels to determine their potential resistance and stability under a range of irradiation conditions. The complex nanoclusters in ODS steels increase the metal's high-temperature strength, making ODS steel viable for use in nuclear structure or cladding applications.