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Understanding helium trapping mechanisms in new nickel-based alloy grades developed for molten salt reac


Thesis topic details

General information

Organisation

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.

Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.

The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
  

Reference

SL-DES-25-0143  

Thesis topic details

Category

Condensed Matter Physics, chemistry, nanosciences

Thesis topics

Understanding helium trapping mechanisms in new nickel-based alloy grades developed for molten salt reactors

Contract

Thèse

Job description

Nickel-based alloys are structural materials of choice for Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs). They offer excellent mechanical properties and good corrosion resistance. In these materials, helium production, mainly caused by the transmutation of nickel by fast neutrons, can reach levels sufficient to strongly embrittle the material or cause it to swell under irradiation. Helium is hardly soluble in the material, and condenses in the form of bubbles or segregates at grain boundaries. To limit these phenomena and successfully trap the helium, one solution is to introduce into the material to be irradiated a high density of nanoprecipitates, whose interfaces will serve as germination sites for nanometric bubbles capable of trapping the helium atoms, preventing the latter from migrating to the grain boundaries and degrading the material's performance. Corrected transmission electron microscopy will be used to study the precipitation kinetics of the thermodynamically expected phases, as well as the atomic structure of the interfaces formed between the precipitates and the matrix. A phase-field simulation of precipitation will also be considered. Finally, the He trapping mechanisms at the interfaces will be studied using electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS).

University / doctoral school

Interfaces (INTERFACES)
Paris-Saclay

Thesis topic location

Site

Saclay

Requester

Position start date

01/10/2025

Person to be contacted by the applicant

RIBIS Joël joel.ribis@cea.fr
CEA
DES/DRMP//LA2M
DES/ISAS/DMN/SRMA/LA2M
Service de Recherches
Métallurgiques Appliquées
CEA-Saclay
Bât 453 pièce 15b
91191 Gif-sur-Yvette

0169088509

Tutor / Responsible thesis director

RIBIS Joël joel.ribis@cea.fr
CEA
DES/DRMP//LA2M
DES/ISAS/DMN/SRMA/LA2M
Service de Recherches
Métallurgiques Appliquées
CEA-Saclay
Bât 453 pièce 15b
91191 Gif-sur-Yvette

0169088509

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