Francesco Fagnoni
PhD Student - ETH Zürich
Project Title: Hydrogen-Enhanced Localized Plasticity (HELP) effect in Zirconium alloys in the context of nuclear waste safety application
Francesco Fagnoni completed a BSc in Materials engineering and Nanotechnology at Politecnico di Milano (Italy), followed by an MSc in Materials Engineering and Technology at Aalborg university (Denmark). Now, at the Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland), he is studying the effect of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of zirconium alloys at high temperatures, in a project funded by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI.
Zirconium is one of the most used materials to permanently enclose nuclear fuel during the energy production phase and subsequent long-term storage in light water reactors. During normal reactor operation, water-side corrosion of the zirconium-based fuel cladding generates hydrogen, some of which gets trapped in the metal. As long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel is becoming more prevalent, the study of the effects of hydrogen on spent fuel cladding in dry-storage conditions is becoming increasingly important. While most current research focuses on embrittlement due to hydrides, this project concentrates on the effect that hydrogen in solid solution has on dislocation mobility and mechanical properties of the zirconium material.
“In nuclear energy production, materials engineering plays a crucial role in meeting the application requirements while ensuring the highest possible safety standards. I’m happy to give my small contribution to ensure that every small detail has been well thought out.”