IOANNIS ALAKIOZIDIS
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Project title: Characterising coated zirconium alloys for accident-tolerant nuclear fuel cladding
Ioannis Alakiozidis will continue his Ph.D. work by advancing the characterisation of chromium-coated zirconium alloys, both in as-fabricated condition and after exposure to operating and accidental reactor conditions. He specialises in mechanical testing and microstructural characterisation of main components and coatings using advanced electron microscopy techniques. His research will focus on the evolution of mechanical properties and the coating-substrate interface after exposure to pressurised water, steam, and proton irradiation. Ioannis completed his Ph.D. at the University of Manchester, as part of MIDAS and the EPSRC-funded GREEN CDT, where he developed expertise in in-situ micro-mechanical testing at room temperature and 300°C, using high-resolution digital image correlation (HRDIC). He also gained insights into the degradation mechanisms of uncoated and coated zirconium alloy claddings under loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) conditions through complex thermomechanical testing at extreme temperatures and pressures.