JOINT RESEARCH PROJECTS BETWEEN POLAND AND CHINA 2025 – Prof. Łukasz Kurpaska
Dr Lukasz Kurpaska from NOMATEN received 60 000 PLN for business trips of NCBJ employees to China.
Title of the project: Design and Development of Nuclear Materials for Advanced Reactor Systems
Abstract: The Generation IV advanced nuclear reactor systems represent a critical direction for the future development of clean energy and serve as an essential approach to mitigating the global energy crisis. These systems operate under extreme service environments, including high temperatures, intense neutron irradiation, complex stress coupling, and corrosive coolants. Under such conditions, conventional nuclear materials (such as zirconium alloys) are prone to severe performance degradation, including irradiation swelling, high-temperature creep, and interfacial corrosion, which pose serious threats to the structural safety of the reactor core.
Silicon carbide (SiC)-based composites and medium- to high-entropy alloys, owing to their high melting points, low neutron capture cross-sections, outstanding irradiation resistance, and high-temperature stability, have been regarded as ideal candidate materials for fuel cladding and core structural components in Generation IV nuclear reactors.
This project focuses on the development of materials for advanced nuclear energy systems. It targets two material systems—SiC-based composites and medium-/high- entropy alloys—both of which are within the processing capabilities of the Chinese and Polish research teams. Through a combination of finite element modeling and in- situ mechanical testing at micro and macro scales, the project aims to establish a theoretical framework for damage and failure prediction under multi-scale and multi- condition environments. By integrating experimental tests, the project will systematically study the effects of different stress conditions on the mechanical behavior of material constituents, reveal their damage evolution mechanisms, and support the performance-oriented structural design and optimization of advanced nuclear materials. The Chinese team has a solid foundation in in-situ damage monitoring of composite materials, fabrication of heterogeneous materials, and multiscale mechanical modeling. Research has already been carried out on the mechanical behavior and structural design of multilayer SiC composites, combined with finite element simulations for cross-scale performance evaluation. The Polish team possesses internationally advanced capabilities in micro/nano-scale mechanical testing, relying on focused ion beam (FIB) technology for the preparation of heterogeneous material samples such as high-entropy alloys, and conducting high-precision mechanical characterization using FIB and in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) platforms.
The two teams have previously established a sound basis for collaboration in areas such as the structural design of ceramic matrix composite claddings and micromechanical response mechanisms of ceramic/metal interfaces. The expected outcomes of the project include the training of two master's degree students, at least one academic exchange between the two parties, and the joint publication of more than two high-level academic papers. The successful implementation of the project will enhance the research capabilities of both teams in nuclear materials development, multiscale damage and failure analysis, and the construction of predictive theoretical models across length scales. It will also expand international cooperation channels, promote the engineering application of research outcomes, and provide an excellent platform for international exchange and development for researchers from both countries.
