Nuclear and Conventional Energy

Materials for Nuclear and Conventional Energy Research Program

In 2005, Canada signed the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) Framework Agreement and committed to a multinational effort to develop the world's next generation of nuclear reactors. The GIF's goals are to develop Generation IV nuclear fission reactors to improve the efficiency of energy production from uranium nuclear fuel from the current level of 31–35% to about 45% and significantly reduce nuclear waste from spent fuel.

High thermal efficiencies and low waste levels are predicted to result from the elevated operating temperatures and pressures in the Generation IV reactor power system. In the case of a CANDU supercritical-water-cooled reactor (SCWR), the core outlet temperature will reach 625 degrees Celcius, which is much higher than the outlet temperature of the current CANDU reactor. The operating pressure of a SCWR will be more than double the pressure of the current CANDU reactor.

These aggressive conditions render many of the current reactor materials unsuitable for use in next-generation reactors. To improve the resistance of materials to corrosion, creep, stress-corrosion cracking and neutron irradiation damage, metallurgical researchers in the European Union, Japan, the U.S., China and Korea are developing new materials such as oxide dispersion strengthened alloys.

As a world-class integrated materials research laboratory the CanmetMATERIALS has expertise in corrosion, modeling, microstructural analysis, and materials fabrication, processing and assessment. This expertise is being used to deliver a significant portion of Canada's materials research and development commitment to the development of Generation IV reactors.

CanmetMATERIALS, in partnership with Canadian universities, uses its suite of unique pilot-scale facilities to play a key role in training highly qualified engineers and specialists for Canadian industries. This role is particularly important in nuclear materials research: the nuclear industry is facing a shortage of skilled highly qualified personnel worldwide including in Canada. Therefore, the research projects in this area are also intended to train Master of Science, doctoral and post-doctoral students.

The overall objectives of CanmetMATERIALS's research program on materials for future nuclear reactors are:

• to develop innovative solutions to the materials challenges in designing next-generation nuclear reactors;
• to support and strengthen Canada's leading-edge nuclear technology for existing reactors in an increasingly competitive international nuclear market; and
• to contribute to the Government of Canada and Canadian universities' efforts to train highly qualified nuclear materials researchers and engineers, using CanmetMATERIALS's unique capabilities.

The output of the research effort on future reactor materials is also expected to provide cross-cutting solutions for current reactor systems. For example, high-temperature alloys and coatings developed for SCWR in-core and out-core components could be useful for solving materials-related problems in current nuclear and fossil power plants.