Understanding the mechanisms of material rupture

Nuclear power stations have a life expectancy of over thirty years, and certain components operate under conditions (temperature, irradiation, etc.) which can lead to a degradation of the material from which they are made, manifested by a loss of mechanical properties, corrosion cracking, etc. In a bid to pre-empt such phenomena, material science is developing a range of new tools, including original methods of observation, innovative theoretical approaches and computer simulation. (author)