The Radiation Materials Science Group is dedicated to understanding effect of irradiation on materials, with emphasis on, material issues related to the nuclear power industry. Nuclear energy using water reactor systems remains a primary source for the world's electric power generation. Environmentally induced materials problems cause a significant portion of nuclear power plant outage time, and are of great economic and safety concern especially as the age of light water reactors gradually increases. There is a great driving force to understand the influence of irradiation on reactor materials and the mechanisms of materials degradation in nuclear power reactors. This is an important for extending lifetime of existing reactors and essential for the next generation of nuclear power reactors.

Areas of particular interest and research for the Radiation Materials Science Group include:

• Austenitic Alloys and Reactor Core Components
  • Irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking
  • Radiation-induced segregation
  • Radiation-induced microstructure
  • Radiation-induced hardening
  • Radiation-induced precipitation
•  Fuel Cladding's
  • Radiation-induced amorphization
  • Radiation-induced microstructure
  • Radiation-enhanced corrosion
•  Pressure Vessel Steels
  • Radiation-induced precipitation
  • Radiation embrittlement
• Stress Corrosion Cracking of Steam Generator Alloys
  • Alloy 600, Alloy 690, Alloy 800
  • Influence of special grain boundaries and carbides in SCC
• Generation IV Reactor Systems
  • Development of radiation tolerant alloys
  • Effects of irradiation on corrosion in supercritical water environments