Creep-plasticity interaction in high-temperature reactor materials

Creep and creep-fatigue of reactor internal components are life-limiting factors for Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors and a key design consideration for future fission and fusion reactor designs. This project uses advanced characterisation techniques including DIC, EBSD and neutron/synchrotron X-ray diffraction to investigate the creep/plasticity interaction in 316H stainless steel. Using this characterisation data, we will develop advanced mechanical models of this material to enhance future structural integrity assessment methods.