Fundamental Technology Development for Radiation Damage in Nuclear Materials

This project was performed to achieve technologies for the evaluation of radiation effects at materials irradiated at HANARO and nuclear power plants, to establish measurement equipment and software for the analysis of radiation defects and to set up facilities for the measurements of radiation damage with non-destructive methods. Major targets were 1) establishment of hot laboratories and remote handling facilities/ technologies for the radioactive material tests, 2) irradiation test for the simulation of nuclear power plant environment and measurement/calculation of physical radiation damage, 3) evaluation and analysis of nano-scale radiation damage, 4) evaluation of radiation embrittlement with ultrasonic resonance spectrum measurement and electromagnetic measurement and 5) basic research of radiation embrittlement and radiation damage mechanism. Through the performance of 3 years, preliminary basics were established for the application research to evaluation of irradiated materials of present nuclear power plants and GEN-IV systems. Particularly the results of SANS, PAS and TEM analyses were the first output in Korea. And computer simulations of radiation damage were tried for the first time in Korea. The technologies will be developed for the design of GEN-IV material