Abstract
Global energy demand is expected to increase steeply, creating an urgent need to evolve a judicious global energy policy, exploiting the potential of all available energy resources, including nuclear energy. With increasing awareness of environmental issues, nuclear energy is expected to play an important role on the energy scenario in the coming decades. The immediate thrust in the science and technology of nuclear materials is to realize a robust reactor technology with associated fuel cycle and ensure the cost competitiveness of nuclear power and to extend the service life of reactors to 100 years. Accordingly, the present-generation materials need to be modified to meet the demands of prolonged exposure to irradiation and extended service life for the reactor. Emerging nuclear systems incorporate features to ensure environmental friendliness, effective waste management, enhanced safety, and proliferation resistance and require development of high-temperature materials and the associated technologies. Fusion, on a longer horizon of about fve decades, also requires the development of a new spectrum of materials. The development of next-generation materials technology is expected to occur in short times and is likely to be further accelerated by strong international collaborations.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
International Atomic Energy Agency (TECDOC 1434, 24, 2004; www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/te_1434_web.pdf) (accessed January 2008).
World Association of Nuclear Operators, 2006 Performance Indicators (London, UK, 2006; http://wano.org.uk/PerformanceIndicators/PI_Trifold/PI_2006_Trifold.pdf) (accessed January 2008).
International Atomic Energy Agency, “Nuclear Power and Sustainable Development,” 13 (IAEA, Vienna, Austria, 2006; www.IAEA.org/Publications/Booklets/NPSD0506.pdf) (accessed January 2008).
World Nuclear Association, Can Uranium Supplies Sustain the Global Nuclear Renaissance? (September 2005; www.world-nuclear.org/reference/position_statements/uranium.html) (accessed January 2008).
OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and International Atomic Energy Agency, Uranium 2005—Resources, Production and Demand (OECD, Paris, France, 2005) p. 9.
Uranium Information Centre, Waste Management in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle (Australian Uranium Association, April 2007; www.uic.com.au/nip09.htm) (accessed January 2008).
www.iaea.org/worldatom/Programmes/Nuclear_Energy/NENP/NPTDS/Projects/brochure.pdf (accessed January 2008).
http://nuclear.energy.gov/genIV/neGenIV1.html (accessed January 2008).
K.H. Handl, “Nuclear Heat Applications: Design Aspects and Operating Experience,” 313 (IAEA-TECDOC-1056, 2004; www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/inisnkm/nkm/aws/htgr/abstracts/abst_29067709.html) (accessed January 2008).
UIC Briefing Paper #77 (September 2007; www.uic.com.au/nip77.htm) (accessed January 2008).
International Atomic Energy Agency, Thorium Fuel Utilization: Options and Trends (IAEA-TECDOC 1319, 2000).
B. Raj, Interim Report on Joint Study on Assessment Using the INPRO Methodology for an Innovative Nuclear Energy System based on a Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle with Fast Reactors (CNFC-FR) (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna).
www.nea.fr/html/ndd/reports/2002/nea3109.html (accessed January 2008).
www.amdis.iaea.org/graphite (accessed January 2008).
www-nds.iaea.org/reports/nds-197.pdf (accessed January 2008).
www-nds.iaea.org/reports-new/indc-reports/indc-nds/indc-nds-0128.pdf (accessed January 2008).
G.R. Odette, G.E. Lucas, J. Met. 53 (7), 18 (2001).
V. Ganesan, J. Nucl. Mater. 256, 69 (1998).
www.astm.org/DIGITAL_LIBRARY/STP/PAGES/STP15182S.htm. (accessed January 2008).
www.pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Meetings/PDF plus/2005/SF_Presentations05/Session2/Banerjee.pdf. (accessed January 2008).
K. Ehrlich, J. Konys, L. Heikinheimo, J. Nucl. Mater. 327 (2–3), 140 (2004).
M. Watteau, B. Estève, R. Guldner, R. Hoffman, Framatome ANP Extended Burnup Experience and Views on LWR Fuels (World Nuclear Association Annual Symposium, 2001; www.world-nuclear.org/sym/2001/watteau.htm) (accessed January 2008).
B. Raj, S.L. Mannan, P.R. Vasudeva Rao, M.D. Mathew, Sadhana 27 (5), 527 (2002).
C. Cawthorne, E.J. Fulton, Nature 216, 575 (1967); www.nature.com/nature/journal/vz16/n5115/pdf/216575a0.pdf (accessed January 2008).
F.A. Garner, in Materials Science and Technology: A Comprehensive Treatment, R.W. Cahn, P. Haasen, E.J. Kramer, Eds.; B.R.T. Frost, Vol. Ed., 01.10A (VCH, 1994), p. 419.
R. Divakar, A. Banerjee, S. Raju, E. Mohandas, G. Panneerselvam, K. Siva Subramanian, M.P. Antony, 57th Annual Technical Meeting of the Indian Institute of Metals, Kolkata, India, November 2003.
J.L. Seren, V. Levy, P. Dubuisson, D. Gilbon, A. Mailard, A. Fissolo, H. Touron, R. Cauvin, A. Chalony, E. le Boulbin, in 15th International Symposium, ASTM STP 1125, R.E. Stoller, A.S. Kumar, D.S. Gilles, Eds. (ASTM, West Conshohocken, PA, 1992).
M.B. Toloczko, F.A. Garner, J. ASTM Int. 1, 4 (2004).
B. Raj, Int. J. Nucl. Energy Sci. Technol. 1 (2–3), 164 (2005).
B. Raj, U. Kamachi Mudali, Prog. Nucl. Energy 48, 283 (2006).
A.E. Ringwood, V.M. Oversby, S.E. Kesson, W. Sinclair, N. Ware, W. Hibbersson, A. Major, Nucl. Chem. Waste Manage. 2 (4), 287 (1981).
http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/nuclear/mg13418263.000 (accessed January 2008).
D.D. Keiser, Jr., D.P. Abraham, W. Sinkler, J.W. Richardson, Jr., S.M. Mcdeavitt, J. Nucl. Mater. 279 (2–3), 234 (2000).
A. Almazouzi, E. Lucon, paper presented at EUROMAT-2005, Prague, Czech Republic; SCK7CEN, Mol., Belgium, 5–9 September, 2005.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Raj, B., Vijayalakshmi, M., Rao, P.R.V. et al. Challenges in Materials Research for Sustainable Nuclear Energy. MRS Bulletin 33, 327–337 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs2008.67
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs2008.67