New materials withstand extreme heat and radiation
The ‘New materials for extreme environments’ (Extremat IP) project was designed to develop new materials capable of functioning at very high temperatures and in the presence of neutron irradiation. Such materials are important in fields as diverse as space technology, nuclear fusion and transport. Having developed the materials and based on end-user requirements, the investigators defined 15 technical specifications. They then tested and evaluated the developed compounds for compliance with these specifications and chose the best candidates for up-scaling. The investigators produced and processed the compounds and subjected them to neutron irradiation. After cooling down and if low radioactivity permitted, the compounds and materials were subjected to post-radiation examination. The scientific industrial committee continuously monitored the progress and results of the experiments. Extremat IP's development and testing of new materials and compounds could provide protection of sensitive structures and devices subjected to extreme conditions of heat and radiation. These materials could find application in fields of space technology, electronic devices and fusion reactors. In these areas incremental materials have so far fallen short of the challenge to overcome issues related to exposure to extreme environments.