Ben Jenkins
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Area of Specialisation: Utilising atom probe tomography to characterise zirconium alloys on the nanoscale
Working across Key Challenge 1, Key Challenge 2, Key Challenge 3.
Ben Jenkins is a postdoctoral researcher who, as an Atom Probe Tomography (APT) specialist, focuses on the nanoscale characterisation of materials used within nuclear industry. As a member of the MIDAS team, the primary focus of Ben's work is to use Atom Probe Tomography to help develop a mechanistic understanding of irradiation damage in Zr alloys. The data collected from APT experiments as part of the MIDAS programme will be used to measure how neutron irradiation affects the nanostructure of Zr alloys. The distribution of elements within alloys’ microstructure will also be determined through APT. This quantitative information will be used to advise models that accurately predict the evolution of irradiation damage in Zr alloys.
Working with neutron-irradiated alloys means that Ben often uses the active facilities at the Materials Research Facility at Culham to prepare samples, with the use of such facilities being a key component of the work undertaken as part of MIDAS.
Ben’s University of Oxford webpage
Next Steps: Ben is now working at Université de Rouen Normandie. Here, he holds a WINNINGNormandy Fellowship, in which he investigates the suitability of using additive manufacture to produce austenitic stainless-steel components for use in current and future nuclear power plants. With an ongoing interest in the field of nuclear materials, Ben continues to regularly engage and collaborate with the MIDAS team. .