Microstructural changes tracked in real time during thermomechanical tests

The technique has been developed at North Carolina State University as part of an international collaboration that included Birmingham University and funding from EPSRC.

It is expected to give researchers a better understanding of materials including alloy 709, a stainless steel alloy with the potential for elevated temperature applications such as nuclear reactors.

“Alloy 709 is exceptionally strong and resistant to damage when exposed to high temperatures for long periods of time,” said Afsaneh Rabiei, corresponding author of a paper on the new findings and a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State. “This makes it a promising material for use in next-generation nuclear power plants.

“However, alloy 709 is so new that its performance under high heat and load is yet to be fully understood. And the [US] Department of Energy needed to better understand its thermomechanical and structural characteristics in order to determine its viability for use in nuclear reactors.”