EPSCoR Research Fellows: NSF: Origin of Radiation Tolerance of Additive Manufacturing Single-phase Concentrated Solid-solution Alloys

Single-phase concentrated solid-solution alloys (SP-CSAs) are emerging radiation-tolerant materials for extreme environments due to their excellent resistance to irradiation and heat. This fellowship project aims to generate new knowledge for developing SP-CSAs with superior high-temperature radiation tolerance using metal additive manufacturing (AM) technologies. The success of this project will promote the progress of science and readiness of technology critical for producing next-generation radiation-tolerant structural materials, which could revolutionize applications in nuclear reactors, aerospace engineering, and energy storage. Moreover, this fellowship will expand the PI’s research trajectory into a new field of AM of advanced materials for extreme environments, particularly for radiation-tolerant, thermally stable, and chemically durable materials. The project will accelerate the development of research infrastructure through the establishment of a new Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Materials Laboratory at Clemson University, extension of research opportunities for faculty across different backgrounds, enrichment of education resources for students in STEM, and potential collaborations with Savannah River National Laboratory. The trained workforce and enhanced manufacturing capabilities could also contribute to the growth of manufacturing industries in South Carolina. This Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) EPSCoR Research Fellows proposal will provide a fellowship to an Assistant Professor and training for a postdoctoral researcher at Clemson University. This work will be conducted in collaboration with researchers at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). The research goal is to advance the capability of metal AM technologies to develop SP-CSAs by exploring the correlation between their radiation tolerance and intrinsic compositions, structures, and defects under high-dose and high-temperature ion-beam irradiations through experimental and computational studies. The objectives are to (i) synthesize SP-CSAs with various chemical compositions, phase structures, and defect concentrations using the AM method – laser-directed energy deposition (LDED); (ii) investigate the radiation damage responses (e.g., defect evolutions, phase transformations, and mechanical properties) of SP-CSAs as compared with common radiation-tolerant materials through ion-beam irradiation and in-situ characterization and testing at the host institution; and (iii) explore the collaborative and individual contributions of compositions, structures, and defects to SP-CSAs’ radiation tolerance through machine learning and statistical calculations. The Intermediate Voltage Electron Microscope (IVEM) user facility at ANL will host radiation damage tests, in-situ transmission electron microscope characterization, and in-process nanoindentation tests. With the assistance of advanced facilities and the outstanding technical support of IVEM-ANL, the fellowship outcomes are poised to be applicable across different manufacturing processes and computational methods beyond this research. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.