Callum Andrew
PhD Student - University of Manchester
Project Title:The Effect of Vanadium and Copper on Defect Structure Generation During Neutron Irradiation of Zirconium-Based Materials
Callum Andrew completed his MEng in Mechanical Engineering at The University of Leeds and worked in building engineering at AECOM, before starting his PhD at Manchester in 2020. Callum’s project, sponsored by Westinghouse Sweden, focuses on how copper and vanadium alloying additions affect defect structure generation within zirconium alloys during neutron irradiation, in particular their influence on irradiation-induced growth.
Zirconium alloys with vanadium and copper additions, neutron-irradiated in the BOR-60 research reactor across the five different neutron fluences available, will be studied over the course of the PhD. To understand the mechanisms by which these elements reduce irradiation-induced growth compared to previous cladding generations, (S)TEM analysis will be employed alongside high-resolution EDX analysis, and XRD line profile analysis. The findings will be compared against more conventional zirconium alloys.
“My PhD project allows me to work in an exciting area of science, and contribute to the development of research in the nuclear industry, with the wider aim of helping to create a low-carbon society”