Intermediate energy proton irradiation: Rapid, high-fidelity materials testing for fusion and fission energy systems

Fusion and advanced fission power plants require nuclear materials to function under new, extreme environments. Understanding the evolution of mechanical functional properties during radiation damage is essential design commercial deployment these systems. The shortcomings existing methods could be addressed by a new technique - intermediate energy proton irradiation (IEPI) using beams 10–30 MeV protons rapidly uniformly bulk material specimens before direct testing engineering properties. IEPI shown achieve high fidelity fusion environments in both primary production transmutation, often superior reactor or typical (low-range) ion irradiation. Modeling demonstrates that dose rates (0.1–1 DPA/per day) can achieved (100–300 μm) with low temperature gradients induced radioactivity. capabilities are demonstrated through 12 tensile test 250 μm thick nickel alloy (Alloy 718), reproducing neutron-induced data. These results demonstrate enables throughput assessment reactor-relevant conditions, positioning accelerate pace engineering-scale allow for quicker more effective