In a recent push to find new materials capable of withstanding the harsh conditions of nuclear fusion reactors, a significant breakthrough has been proposed in the field of materials science, specifically focused on improving the irradiation resistance of materials used in these demanding environments: the refractory high-entropy alloys, or RHEAs.
Although two particular RHEAs – the WTaCrV [1] and the WTaCrVHf [2] – have shown high levels of radiation tolerance when tested under prototypical and simulated fusion reactor conditions, increasing the chemical complexity of metallic alloys by adding multiple elements points to new challenges in the mass production of such RHEAs, a key requirement for their technological readiness.
In our recent preprint, we explored an innovative class of materials known as Refractory Medium Entropy Alloys (RMEAs). By simplifying the complex chemistry of RHEAs by reducing the number of alloying elements, we synthesised two new alloys in the W-Ta-V ternary system and evaluated both their thermal and irradiation responses.
Surprisingly, these simpler ternary alloys showed levels of irradiation resistance comparable (and better in some aspects) with the most complex RHEAs. We demonstrate the effect of the element vanadium in increasing the irradiation resistance of the binary W-Ta system. The research not only highlights the potential of RHEAs, but also introduces rigorous theoretical modeling with a view to experimental validation.
This development on simpler RMEAs marks a major step forward in the selection and design of materials capable of withstanding the rigorous demands of future nuclear fusion reactors, potentially catalysing advances in sustainable energy technology.
Access our preprint here:
M.A. Tunes et al. Enhancing Irradiation Resistance in Refractory Medium Entropy Alloys with Simplified Chemistry (Preprint) 2024.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381652969_Enhancing_Irradiation_Resistance_in_Refractory_Medium_Entropy_Alloys_with_Simplified_Chemistry
References:
[1] https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.aav2002
[2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-38000-y
[featured image] https://medium.com/@debashishrambhola/nuclear-fusion-a-clean-energy-source-what-is-it-a-recent-breakthrough-7b3482abbbfb
Materials at Extremes 