Mark Daymond –  Queen’s University

Zhongwen Yao –  Queen’s University

A nuclear reactor presents a unique environment in which materials must perform. In addition to the high temperatures, stresses and corrosive environments to which materials are subjected in conventional applications, nuclear materials are subjected to various kinds of radiation which affect their performance, and often this dictates a requirement for a unique property (for example, a low cross section for thermal neutron absorption) that is not relevant in conventional applications. The effects of the radiation may be direct (e.g., the displacement of atoms from their normal positions by fast neutrons or fission fragments), or indirect (e.g., a more aggressive chemical environment caused by radiolytic decomposition). This course starts with a review of key materials’ phenomenon that are important even outside a reactor, then describes materials typically used in nuclear environments, the unique conditions to which they are subjected, the basic physical phenomena that affect their performance and the resulting design criteria for reactor components made from these materials. The focus is on the CANDU design
although some aspects from other designs are discussed.

Final date to register: Before course start date ( April 11, 2026)

Deadline to drop: April 18, 2026

No recomended preparation