A team of US researchers has come up with a novel metal alloy for nuclear fission reactors that can reportedly withstand stresses of up to 600 megapascals (MPa) at room temperature.

The experimental alloy, called V555, was developed at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The scientists went through nearly 1,000 potential metal combinations to identify the most promising formula for the new alloy.

To rapidly screen, simulate, as well as optimize the materials, the scientists used a computational approach called robust alloy design (RAD). It can identify materials that could withstand the extreme temperatures, radiation, and mechanical stress found inside nuclear reactors.

PNNL said that the alloy has undergone initial room-temperature tests. “The work has developed into a pathway for the nuclear materials community to explore and evaluate a broader range of materials for future nuclear systems,” Osman El Atwani, PhD, a materials scientist and study leader, said.

Traditional cladding materials include steels and zirconium-based alloys, such as Zircaloy. However, as per El Atwani, new alloys from multiple principal elements could have better properties through changes in their metal composition.

To select different elements and create entirely new compositions, he and his team created the eight-step RAD process. It evaluates potential materials against several requirements, such as radiation resistance and manufacturability.

The group initially identified around 724 alloy compositions with promising traits by relying on the approach. They then turned to the RAD scoring system to narrow the selection. The assessment tool ranks alloys based on their suitability for nuclear reactors.

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