Advanced nuclear materials

Prof. Marc Scibetta – Université de Liège
Prof. Eric van Walle – Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Prof. Rik-Wouter Bosch – Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

3 ECTS

85,5 hours study time

26 contact hours theory

5 contact hours exercises/laboratory sessions/visits

0 hours additional personal work (reading etc.)

  • To review the corrosion and embrittlement degradation mechanisms of materials in nuclear environments.

  • Part 1:

    • Functional requirements of materials in a nuclear environment (M. Scibetta – 1 ECTS)
      • Nuclear materials: fuel, fuel cladding, moderator/reflector, coolant
      • Structural materials: reactor internals and vessel, piping, valves

    Part 2:

    • Corrosion and materials degradation problems in the nuclear industry (RW. Bosch – 1 ECTS)
      • Introduction stainless steels and its application in LWRs
      • Water chemistry of LWRs
      • Uniform corrosion issues (radioactive contamination of primary circuit, Flow Assisted Corrosion, CRUD/AOA, ..)
      • Environmentally Assisted Cracking ( (IASCC of baffle bolts, PWSCC of steam generator tubing and dissimilar metal welds, EAF of stainless steel components, ..)
      • Corrosion control and mitigation
      • Case histories

    Part 3:

    • Advanced treatment of irradiation effects in materials: radiation damage mechanisms at microscopic level (E. van Walle – 1 ECTS)

    Some of these topics are further elaborated during seminars by SCK CEN experts

    • Corrosion in nuclear systems - general overview (R-W. Bosch)
    • Fundamentals of radiation damage in steels: the nanoscale perspective (L. Malerba)
    • Materials issues of nuclear fuel (M. Verwerft)
    • Advanced experiments to characterize radiation damage in nuclear materials (M. Konstantinovic)

  • The PowerPoint presentations of the lectures are available on the BNEN website.

    Other usefull references

    • Fontana, M.G., Corrosion Engineering, 3rd Ed., McGraw-Hill, 1986.
    • Bogaerts, W.F., Active Library on Corrosion (CD-ROM), 2nd Ed., Elsevier, 1998.
    • Benjamin, M., Nuclear Reactor Materials and Applications, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1983.
    • Glasstone, S. & A. Sesonske, Nuclear Reactor Engineering, 4-th Ed, Vol 1, Chapman & Hall, New York, 1994  (Chapter 7: Reactor Materials, pp 406-462). 
    • Cahn, R.W., Haasen, P., Kramer, E.J., Materials Science and Technology, Volume 10 B, Volume editor Frost B.R.T. , Chapters 7-9

  • Courses in the following fields

    • Nuclear materials

    Basic knowledge of materials science, chemistry and electrochemistry.

    • Part 1 and part 2: Oral examination with written preparation, closed book in first and second session 
    • Part 3: Oral examination with written preparation, open book in first and second session
    • Attendance to the seminars is compulsory.
    • The grade will be determined by weighing the grades on the separate parts, in proportion to the number of ECTS per part. In case of a failure for one of the parts, the examination committee can decide to penalize by lowering the final grade.
    • The examination of the separate parts of this course can be scheduled on multiple days.   

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