GEORGE MERRYWEATHER
PhD Student - University of Manchester
Project Title: Developing novel techniques for hydride characterisation in irradiated Zr alloys.
George Merryweather completed his MSc in Natural Sciences, focusing on Materials Science, at the University of Cambridge in 2023. He started his PhD at the University of Manchester the same year. His PhD is co-sponsored by Rolls-Royce and EPSRC as part of the GREEN CDT, investigating hydrides in zirconium.
Over the life of a light-water reactor, the zirconium cladding will react with water to release hydrogen. The hydrogen can enter the zirconium and form brittle hydride plates, which can ultimately lead to degradation of the cladding’s mechanical properties. Understanding their formation and behaviour is therefore a critical consideration for reactor design. However, testing novel microstructures requires a lengthy testing regime due to the requirements to irradiate samples, which must be followed by a period where the sample is allowed to cool off.
George’s PhD aims to establish a technique to prepare samples that minimise both hydride formation and residual mechanical deformation that occurs during preparation. Additionally, he will characterise novel microstructures, as well as the hydrides that form in them. This will allow the precipitation process by which hydrides form to be better understood, so we can control their harmful effects in a reactor.
“This PhD has been an amazing opportunity to be involved in a crucial part of the UK’s net-zero transition. The MIDAS group has been super friendly and a great group to do research with.”