Research Fellow

This is a 20-month post as part of the UKAEA Joint Chair position in Materials for Fusion, held by Prof. Enrique Jimenez-Melero at the School of Metallurgy and Materials of the University of Birmingham, and in support of the ongoing fusion steel research activities at the Materials Business Unit of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).

We are looking for a Research Fellow who is passionate about nuclear fusion technology, materials science and hands-on experimental work, with a clear drive to make an impact in characterising and testing austenitic stainless steels (ASSs) for fusion reactor technologies. ASSs have been used in core reactor and primary loop components for decades in the nuclear industry, and they are currently considered as viable solutions for potential use in the divertor, blanket and vacuum vessel of nuclear fusion plants. This is primarily due to their high mechanical strength and creep resistance at elevated temperatures, together with their tolerance against corrosive media and relatively good weldability. However, ASSs experience detrimental performance effects under irradiation at intermediate temperatures, i.e. radiation-induced swelling, irradiation creep and, depending on the steel chemistry and local conditions, phase instabilities and local chemical redistributions, induced or enhanced by irradiation. In the past, several novel ASS grades and thermo-mechanical processes have been explored to enhance the steel performance at intermediate irradiation temperatures, coupled to limited and simplified materials testing. It is therefore the aim of the project is to assess the potential synergistic effects of radiation fields and mechanical loads on the mechanical performance and swelling behaviour of austenitic stainless steels in fusion-relevant conditions.

You will have the opportunity to design and perform ion irradiation experiments, benchmarking with ongoing neutron irradiation campaigns where relevant and depending on material availability, and thereupon characterize and mechanical test selected fusion-relevant ASS grades and microstructures. You will be using scanning & transmission electron microscopy for local microstructural and chemical evaluation, and potentially also small-angle scattering for average characteristics of the second phase particle population. You will carry out any work with radio-active materials using the hot cell facilities at the Materials Research Facility at UKAEA site. This post can clearly act as a springboard to a longer-term career in fusion.

Person Specification

• First degree in area of specialism and normally, a higher degree relevant to the research area or equivalent qualifications, or be close to completion
• Awareness of the basics of fusion energy generation, emerging technologies and related challenges in structural materials for fusion environments
• Knowledge of physical metallurgy of steels, ideally including stainless steels
• Expertise in using radiation sources to irradiate nuclear materials in simulated reactor conditions
• Use of advanced characterization tools to assess radiation damage in metallic materials, esp. analytical electron microscopy
• Experience in mechanical testing of materials, and knowledge of mechanical behaviour of metallic materials

Informal enquiries to Prof. Enrique Jimenez-Melero, email: e.jimenez-melero@bham.ac.uk 

To download the full job description and details of this position and submit an electronic application online please click on the Apply button above

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