Nuclear Fuels and Materials

Nuclear Fuels and Materials

Nuclear fuels and materials is the study of material behavior in radiation and reactor environments, including defect formation and evolution, fission product behavior, environmental degradation, and high-temperature behavior. At UF, we apply experimental and computational approaches to investigate oxidation and corrosion, light-water reactor (LWR) and advanced fuel behavior, radiation damage in 2D and functional materials, and radiation behavior of structural materials. We use advanced facilities at UF, including microscopy facilities for radioactive materials and the HiperGator supercomputer.

Assel Aitkaliyeva, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

 

Inside a Nuclear Fuels and Materials Lab

Nuclear fuels and materials lab
Graduate students learning about phase-field modeling of nuclear fuels. (photo from Oct. 2019)
TEM microscope
Our focused ion beam tool is used to prepare samples for TEM, conduct microstructural characterization, fabricate micro-tensile specimens, and conduct micro-mechanical testing of irradiated fuels and materials. (photo from Oct. 2019)
Nuclear Engineering graduate students
Our transmission electron microscope (TEM) is used to characterize material microstructure, quantify irradiation-induced defects, identify phases, and help us understand the effects irradiation has on nuclear fuels and materials. (photo from Oct. 2019)