Michael Mcglynn
Project Title: Understanding in-reactor formed oxides on cladding material by X-ray diffraction analysis
Michael McGlynn graduated in 2024 with a MSc in Particle and Nuclear Physics from the University of Edinburgh. Michael’s project, sponsored by Westinghouse, examines the formation of oxides on zirconium alloy samples exposed to reactor conditions. The main technique used will be X-ray diffraction which has proven its efficacy on autoclave tested samples in studying oxide phase fraction, surface texture, and residual stress. These properties will be used to characterize the corrosion performance of the samples from the reactor. The project will complement work done by MIDAS associates Wenyu Zhang and Rajat Nama at Oxford who are investigating the corrosion of these alloys mainly through electron microscopy.