Category: engineering

Radiation shielding for nuclear-fission powered human-based Mars missions

~ Matheus A. Tunes ~ Leave a comment

As multinational space programs progress towards establishing permanent human settlements beyond Earth, radiation shielding and damage continue to pose significant challenges. A fascinating recent paper discussing radiation shielding in the context of future nuclear-fission-powered Mars missions has been published in Nuclear Science and Technology Open Research. Bendoyro AC, Thomas LD, Cassibry J and Emrich W. … Continue reading Radiation shielding for nuclear-fission powered human-based Mars missions

Coal power, definitively not an option!

~ Matheus A. Tunes ~ Leave a comment

Fine-particles containing sulfur oxide originating from coal power stations are related to a significant increase in mortality risks. This is a result of a comphreensive study just published at the Science magazine last month. I think it is now clear that we must act to stop further uses of coal as an energy source! HENNEMAN, … Continue reading Coal power, definitively not an option!

Advancing microreactor materials technology: Next stop, the Moon!

~ Matheus A. Tunes ~ Leave a comment

Miniaturizing nuclear reactors offers a robust solution for generating reliable and efficient electricity, crucial for supporting human missions beyond Earth. Such miniturization is not at all an easy task. I have been pursuing research in this area since 2015, when we designed a ~ 3x3 metre-sized small nuclear reactor core for biological shielding optimization studies. … Continue reading Advancing microreactor materials technology: Next stop, the Moon!

Advancing the field of fine-grained aluminium alloys

~ Matheus A. Tunes ~ Leave a comment

In a new pre-print available at SSRN Electronic Journal, Samberger et al. introduce a new concept for fine-grained aluminium alloys. The authors shows a process of synthesis that resulted in a fine-grained aluminium crossover alloys intended to be applied in high-temperature forming processes. The use of EBSD unravels the active role of T-phase precipitates on … Continue reading Advancing the field of fine-grained aluminium alloys

Using the Plasma FIB as a revolutionary tool for studying radiation effects in solids: cover page award!

~ Matheus A. Tunes ~ 4 Comments

Our recent work entitled "Rethinking radiation effects in materials science using the plasma-focused ion beam" published in the September issue of the historically prestigious Journal of Materials Science (Springer) has been awarded the cover page of the November 2022 issue (volume 57, number 41). A very nice editorial has been written by Professor C. Barry … Continue reading Using the Plasma FIB as a revolutionary tool for studying radiation effects in solids: cover page award!

Cutting edge Aluminium metallurgy!

~ Matheus A. Tunes ~ Leave a comment

Under the supervision of Professor Stefan Pogatscher and in collaboration with a strong scientific network, I am delighted to share our two "most fresh" papers pushing up the frontiers of Aluminium Metallurgy. The first "Age-hardening response of AlMgZn alloys with Cu and Ag additions" is a comprehensive assessment on the heat-treatment response and mechanical properties … Continue reading Cutting edge Aluminium metallurgy!