Nuclear Materials Highlights – Issue #2

Dear Friends!

We would like to wish you an excellent 2022 start with great accomplishments in life and research!

This year starts a great promise with the commission of the James Webb space telescope, which holds the future of astronomy and astrophysics!

With the beginning of the new year, we will resume the Nuclear Materials Highlights newsletter in its second issue, top-featuring research within the field of nuclear materials worldwide. I hope you enjoy the new year’s readings!

C.J. Rietema et al. The Influence of Nitrogen and Nitrides on the Structure and Properties of Proton Irradiated Ferritic/ Martensitic Steel. JNM 2022, 153528.

Rietema and authors investigated the influence of nitrogen interstitials and nitride phases on the structure and properties of proton irradiated ferritic-martensitic HT-9 steel. This material arises as a suitable candidate replacement for zirconium alloys in nuclear reactors with great accident tolerant fuel properties. In this great work, a fundamental study on the role of nitrogen and radiation effects has been carried out. An excellent work that also features the participation of two of my great friends, Dr. S.A. Maloy and Dr. B.P. Eftink. A nuclear materials must read!

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153528

W. Wang et al. Hydrogen Permeation Behavior of Zirconium Nitride Film on Zirconium Hydride. Materials 2022, 15(2), 550.

Wang and authors developed a way to study hydrogen permeation within a zirconium nitride film deposited on the top of a bulk zirconium hydride material. The development of zirconium hydride materials can be now considered a hot topic within the nuclear materials niche as several applications have been envisaged even for small modular reactors operating in the extraterrestrial space. A must read!

https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15020550