Tag: radiation damage

Rethinking copper metallurgy for the future of fusion reactors

~ Matheus A. Tunes ~ 2 Comments

We are delighted to share a new preprint that takes on one of fusion energy's most stubborn materials problems: building a heat sink that can survive inside a reactor. Commercial fusion demands components that withstand intense neutron bombardment while extracting punishing heat loads for conversion to electricity, and CuCrZr — a copper alloy strengthened by … Continue reading Rethinking copper metallurgy for the future of fusion reactors

How much radiation damage can you do in seconds?

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Qualifying materials for future fission and fusion reactors is painfully slow. Neutron irradiation is costly, time-consuming and leaves samples radioactive, while ion-beam alternatives require competitive proposals and scheduled beam time at oversubscribed accelerator facilities. In a new preprint, we ask whether an instrument already sitting in many microscopy labs — the plasma focused ion beam … Continue reading How much radiation damage can you do in seconds?

The Spirit of Metallurgy at 75 Years Strong

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Professor Peter J. Uggowitzer was never officially my mentor or supervisor -- neither during my studies nor in my former postdoc in Leoben. Yet, his presence and friendship over all these years have profoundly shaped both my personal and professional life. Through him, I learned not just metallurgy, but how to think metallurgy -- how … Continue reading The Spirit of Metallurgy at 75 Years Strong

Leoben makes waves in fusion materials research

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The [X-MAT] team at the Chair of Nonferrous Metallurgy, Montanuniversität Leoben, has drawn global attention with a groundbreaking study published in Advanced Science (DOI: 10.1002/advs.202417659). With more than 1k views and reads in the journal's first month after publication, our work challenges the prevailing high-entropy alloy (HEA) paradigm by proving that even simpler alloy systems can outperform their … Continue reading Leoben makes waves in fusion materials research

Revolutionary Findings in Nonferrous Metallurgy for Fusion Technology

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03/20/2025 The [X-MAT] research team from the Chair of Nonferrous Metallurgy, in collaboration with international partners, has made a significant breakthrough in the development of radiation-resistant materials for nuclear fusion reactors. Their latest study, published in Advanced Science (DOI: 10.1002/advs.202417659), challenges conventional high-entropy alloy (HEA) concept by demonstrating that reduced chemical complexity can still achieve … Continue reading Revolutionary Findings in Nonferrous Metallurgy for Fusion Technology

Celebrating Sandra’s Successful Master’s Thesis Defense

~ Matheus A. Tunes ~ 1 Comment

On October 1, 2024, Sandra Gonzaga, our Master Student, reached an impressive milestone in her academic journey, successfully defending her Master's thesis with the highest grade of “Sehr gut” (1). Her remarkable research has broken new ground in the study of aluminium alloys within the Al–Mg–Si system, designed specifically for space applications. Prof. Pogatscher, Sandra, … Continue reading Celebrating Sandra’s Successful Master’s Thesis Defense

David J. Mazey: Scientist, Pioneer in Nuclear Materials

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In early 2014, while conducting a literature review for my Master's thesis at the University of São Paulo, I visited the library of the Institute of Physics (IFUSP), my alma mater, to search for papers dating back to the origins of nuclear materials research. At the time, I was a curious 22-year-old, freshly graduated physicist. … Continue reading David J. Mazey: Scientist, Pioneer in Nuclear Materials