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DOE OSTI2022

Oxidation Resistance in 1200°C Steam of a FeCrAl Alloy Fabricated by Three Metallurgical Processes

Abstract FeCrAl alloys are a leading candidate material for accident tolerant fuel cladding due to their good performance in both normal light-water reactor operating conditions as well as their resilience to high-temperature accident scenarios. For commercial-scale production, new fabrication techniques need to be investigated. In this study, the effects of fabrication methods on the high-temperature steam oxidation performance of C26M (Fe12Cr6Al2Mo in wt.%) were investigated. Three variants of C26M were manufactured: wrought (cast and forged) (WC26M), powder metallurgy hot isostatic pressing (PMC26M), and laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing (AMC26M). All three variants were exposed to steam at 1200°C for 2 h. Results showed no significant variation in mass change between the variants after steam exposure. All three variants effectively formed stable protective alumina films with ~0.6–1.3 µ m thickness. This study suggests FeCrAl alloys have excellent resilience to high-temperature steam in nuclear reactor accident scenarios regardless of the fabrication method.

Materials Science↗

DOE OSTI2025

The state of the art for neutron irradiation experiments from the perspective of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR)

Irradiation experiment campaigns are critical to advancing nuclear energy technologies by providing data on material performance under relevant radiation conditions. Successful irradiation experiments require integrated design efforts that balance technical goals with facility constraints. Here, this paper presents an expert-informed overview of irradiation experiment design at the High Flux Isotope Reactor. It addresses the nuclear materials research and irradiation experiment communities to guide them toward developing technically sound, facility-compatible campaigns. The High Flux Isotope Reactor is a multipurpose reactor supporting isotope production, neutron scattering, and materials testing. Its high, steady-state neutron flux is ideal for irradiation experiments, but successful execution demands coordinated thermal, structural, and reactor physics analyses. The paper outlines the complete development workflow from concept definition and design optimization to safety qualification and post-irradiation examination. Standardized capsule platforms are also discussed in terms of flexibility, specimen capacity, and thermal performance. Common failure modes such as unanticipated geometric variations, can impact temperature-dose profiles and compromise data reliability. Therefore, detailed thermal modeling and accurate as-built characterization are essential for meaningful post-irradiation data interpretation. Key recommendations include early engagement all stakeholders, clearly defined design expectations, and alignment of specimen geometries with post-irradiation examination capabilities. This approach reduces design iterations, enhances data quality, and supports more efficient use of irradiation resources. Strategic and well-planned irradiation testing not only improves individual campaign success but also accelerates the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies. By closing critical data gaps and reducing development risks, the nuclear materials community can more effectively contribute to the future of clean, resilient energy systems.

Experiments↗

DOE OSTI2021

Materials and Fuels Complex Five-Year Mission Strategy (FY21- FY25)

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), through its designated mission of advancing innovative nuclear energy solutions, is actively engaged in the research, development, demonstration and deployment of advanced nuclear technology, as well as in fostering private-public partnership for technology development. Key to the success of INL’s mission is the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC), the only complex in the U.S. that hosts a world-class assemblage of facilities, capabilities and instruments for handling, testing, and characterizing radioactive materials. Driven by its mission/vision of “Engineering and Experiments that Drive the World’s Nuclear Energy Future,” MFC is at the center of INL’s – and indeed the Department of Energy’s – advanced nuclear technology development initiatives, providing essential capabilities such as engineering-scale high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel production, reactor demonstration facilities, post-irradiation examination, and transient irradiation testing. Furthermore, MFC provides an ideal environment for test beds that are utilized for research, development and demonstration (RD&D) activities on used fuel treatment, nuclear non-proliferation, forensics, and nuclear power sources used for space exploration missions conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Topological Data Analysis for Particulate Gels

Soft gels, formed via the self-assembly of particulate materials, exhibit intricate multiscale structures that provide them with flexibility and resilience when subjected to external stresses. Here, this work combines particle simulations and topological data analysis (TDA) to characterize the complex multiscale structure of soft gels. Our TDA analysis focuses on the use of the Euler characteristic, which is an interpretable and computationally scalable topological descriptor that is combined with filtration operations to obtain information on the geometric (local) and topological (global) structure of soft gels. We reduce the topological information obtained with TDA using principal component analysis (PCA) and show that this provides an informative low-dimensional representation of the gel structure. We use the proposed computational framework to investigate the influence of gel preparation (e.g., quench rate, volume fraction) on soft gel structure and to explore dynamic deformations that emerge under oscillatory shear in various response regimes (linear, nonlinear, and flow). Our analysis provides evidence of the existence of hierarchical structures in soft gels, which are not easily identifiable otherwise. Moreover, our analysis reveals direct correlations between topological changes of the gel structure under deformation and mechanical phenomena distinctive of gel materials, such as stiffening and yielding. In summary, we show that TDA facilitates the mathematical representation, quantification, and analysis of soft gel structures, extending traditional network analysis methods to capture both local and global organization.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2022

Development of an Extremely Durable Concrete (EDC) - A Novel approach coupling Chemistry and Autogenous Crack Width Control (Final Report)

Concrete cracking is a challenging issue and a constant threat to the durability of modern physical infrastructure. It is most commonly produced by mechanical loading and environmental deformations endured under field conditions, and structural deterioration accelerates at large crack widths. There is an urgent need for dramatic reductions in O&M cost, energy use, and emissions for infrastructure. The goal of this project is to fundamentally design an Extremely Durable Concrete (EDC) with a life expectancy at least five times that of current concrete by deploying a coupled micromechanical and chemical approach in material design. EDC is expected to embody an autogenously tight crack width (<50μm), high ductility (>3%), and stable chemistry using a green binder based on Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3), which together will produce a resilient formulation with self-healing capability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2024

Testing of Materials and Coatings at up to 1150°C and 300 bar for use in Oxy-Combustion Turbine

Various materials that may be used in a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) oxy-fuel turbine in the 150-300 MWe size range are being evaluated in various environments of interest. The inlet of the turbine must be capable of 1,150 °C at 300 bar and the exhaust temperature is expected to be within the 725-775 °C range. The design requirements are pushing the known limits of high temperature materials. Little is known about the oxidation of the metallic alloys considered for turbine nozzles and blades or about the resilience of thermal management solutions, such as thermal barrier coatings (TBC), required to accommodate these high temperatures. The combinations of high temperature resistant materials and coatings must be tested in sCO2 to evaluate their reliability in an oxy-fuel turbine environment. A total of 13 alloys were chosen to be tested. They included bare samples, with nano deposited MCrAlY bond coat only, or with the addition of a TBC. A unique test facility was developed to expose those materials in sCO2 at up to 300 bar and 1150 °C for up to 5,000 hours. This was accomplished by placing an induction heater inside an autoclave to achieve those high temperature locally while the pressurized vessel is cooled externally. The specimens are weighed before and after exposure to determine the oxidation rate. The integrity, morphology, and composition of some of the coatings and thermally grown oxide will be investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This paper presents the up-to-date results of the testing coated and uncoated superalloys in sCO2 at up to 1150 °C and up to 300 bar performed at Southwest Research Institute.

Bocher, Florent↗

DOE OSTI2025

Housing-Performance Atlas of Baltimore Row Homes: Archetype-Based Multi-Hazard Baseline of Energy, Heat, Survivability, and Durability

Baltimore’s historic row-home neighborhoods face escalating risks to energy, heat, and durability under intensifying climate stress. This study develops a Housing-Performance Atlas that quantifies multi-hazard performance for eight representative archetypes using DesignBuilder/EnergyPlus Version 7.3.1.003, under Baltimore TMY3 boundary conditions. Performance is evaluated across the following four adaptation domains: energy use intensity, passive survivability during 72 h outage events, roof overheating exposure (>150 °F exceedance hours), and material service life derived from ISO 15686 and synthesized into Lean and Full Deficit Indices for comparative resilience ranking. Results show that EUI ranged from 46.7 to 67.6 kBtu ft −2 ·yr −1 , survivability from 0 to 23 h, and roof temperatures exceeded 150 °F for 150–210 h, shortening roof service life by up to 10 years. Composite Lean and Full Deficit Indices ranged 7.8–92.4, ranking Model 5 (end-unit, flat roof, two-story with basement) as the most resilient configuration and Model 8 (end-unit, pitched roof, three-story above-grade) as the least resilient due to compounded overheating and energy losses. Heat-related domains accounted for nearly 70% of overall resilience deficits, confirming thermal safety and roof reflectivity as retrofit priorities. The Housing-Performance Atlas establishes a reproducible diagnostic framework linking simulation, service life, and resilience metrics to guide cost-effective, climate-responsive retrofits in Baltimore’s aging urban housing stock.

Housing-Performance atlas↗

DOE OSTI2026

Identifying Suitable Front Contacts for High‐Efficiency Cd(Se,Te) Solar Cells on Space‐Qualified Cover Glass

Deployment of photovoltaics in space requires devices that combine high-efficiency, low areal mass, and resilience to harsh environments. Historically, high-efficiency multijunction III–V materials have dominated space power systems; however, their high cost and limited manufacturing throughput motivate the exploration of scalable alternatives. While CdTe-based thin-film photovoltaics offer an attractive option, their performance on non-conventional substrates can suffer from front contact instability under higher-temperature processing. Here, the role of front contact chemistry in limiting cell performance is investigated using CdTe-based devices fabricated on 150 μm thick Ceria-doped space-qualified 0214 Corning glass. A matrix of four transparent conducting oxides (TCOs: CTO, AZO, ITO, IZO) combined with two n-type emitters (MZO, IGO) reveals chemical stability at the front interface—rather than absorber composition alone—governs recombination losses, voltage deficits, and device reproducibility. Chemically stable front contact combinations suppress elemental diffusion and interfacial degradation, resulting in significantly improved carrier lifetimes and junction quality. These insights are validated through record-certified Cd(Se,Te) cell efficiencies of 18.4% under AM1.5G and 16.2% under AM0 illumination on ultra-thin glass. Beyond CdTe, this work provides a general framework for the rational selection of TCO/emitter interfaces in superstrate thin-film photovoltaics, including emerging technologies like metal halide perovskites, while enabling high-efficiency, lightweight photovoltaics for space applications.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2026

Data Associated with "Identifying Suitable Front Contacts for High-Efficiency Cd(Se,Te) Solar Cells on Space-Qualified Cover Glass"

This is data associated with the publication " Identifying Suitable Front Contacts for High-Efficiency Cd(Se,Te) Solar Cells on Space-Qualified Cover Glass " by Aesha P. Patel, Ryan Muzzio, Matthew R. Young, Robert Morrissey, Suresh Chaulagain, B. Edward Sartor, Prabodika N. Kaluarachchi, Christian Velez, Joshua A. Brown, Joel N. Duenow, Stephen Glynn, Michael J. Heben, Zhaoning Song, Nikolas J. Podraza, Adam B. Phillips, Randy J. Ellingson, Matthew O. Reese. All data associated with each figure in the manuscript and supplementary should be available in this dataset. A readme file is also included to provide some guidance. Abstract: Deployment of photovoltaics in space requires devices that combine high-efficiency, low areal mass, and resilience to harsh environments. Historically, high-efficiency multijunction III–V materials have dominated space power systems; however, their high cost and limited manufacturing throughput motivate the exploration of scalable alternatives. While CdTe-based thin-film photovoltaics offer an attractive option, their performance on non-conventional substrates can suffer from front-contact instability under higher-temperature processing. Here, the role of front-contact chemistry in limiting cell performance is investigated using CdTe-based devices fabricated on 150 μm thick Ceria-doped space-qualified 0214 Corning glass. A matrix of four transparent conducting oxides (TCOs: CTO, AZO, ITO, IZO) combined with two n-type emitters (MZO, IGO) reveals chemical stability at the front interface—rather than absorber composition alone—governs recombination losses, voltage deficits, and device reproducibility. Chemically stable front-contact combinations suppress elemental diffusion and interfacial degradation, resulting in significantly improved carrier lifetimes and junction quality. These insights are validated through record-certified Cd(Se,Te) cell efficiencies of 18.4% under AM1.5G and 16.2% under AM0 illumination on ultra-thin glass. Beyond CdTe, this work provides a general framework for the rational selection of TCO/emitter interfaces in superstrate thin-film photovoltaics, including emerging technologies like metal halide perovskites, while enabling high-efficiency, lightweight photovoltaics for space applications.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS1992

Drop deployment system for crystal growth apparatus

This invention relates to a crystal growth apparatus (10) generally used for growing protein crystals wherein a vapor diffusion method is used for growing the crystals. In this apparatus, a precipitating solution and a solution containing dissolved crystalline material are stored in separate vials (12, 14), each having a resilient diaphragm (28) across one end and an opening (24) with a puncturable septum (26) thereacross at an opposite end. The vials are placed in receptacles (30) having a manifold (41) with a manifold diaphragm (42) in contact with the vial diaphragm at one end of the receptacle and a hollow needle (36) for puncturing the septum at the other end of the manifold. The needles of each vial communicate with a ball mixer (40) that mixes the precipitate and protein solutions and directs the mixed solution to a drop support (64) disposed in a crystal growth chamber (16), the drop support being a tube with an inner bevelled surface (66) that provides more support for the drop (68) than the tubes of the prior art. A sealable storage region (70) intermediate the drop support and mixer provides storage of the drop (68) and the grown crystals.

Rhodes, Percy H.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Science and Technology (S and T) Roadmap Collaboration between SMC, NASA, and Government Partners

National Security Space (NSS) presents multi-faceted S and T challenges. We must continually innovate enterprise and information management; provide decision support; develop advanced materials; enhance sensor technology; transform communication technology; develop advanced propulsion and resilient space architectures and capabilities; and enhance multiple additional S and T domains. These challenges are best met by leveraging advanced S and T research and technology development from a number of DoD agencies and civil agencies such as NASA. The authors of this paper have engaged in these activities since 2006 and over the past decade developed multiple strategic S and T relationships. This paper highlights the Office of the Space Missile Systems Center (SMC) Chief Scientist (SMC/ST) collaboration with the NASA Office of Chief Technologist (NASA OCT), which has multiple S and T activities that are relevant to NSS. In particular we discuss the development of the Technology Roadmaps that benefit both Civil Space and NSS. Our collaboration with NASA OCT has been of mutual benefit to multiple participants. Some of the other DoD components include the Defense Advanced Research Projects agency (DARPA), Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), The USAF Office of Chief Scientist, the USAF Science Advisory Board (SAB), Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), and a number of other services and agencies. In addition, the human talent is a key enabler of advanced S and T activities; it is absolutely critical to have a strong supply of talent in the fields of Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Consequently, we continually collaborate with the USAF Institute of Technology (AFIT), other service academies and graduate schools, and other universities and colleges. This paper highlights the benefits that result from such strategic S and T partnerships and recommends a way forward that will continually build upon these achievements into the future.

Science Technology Collaboration↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Investigating Durability of 8YSZ via Wear and Erosion Testing for Lunar Applications

As the number of missions to land on the Moon with and without crew continues to increase, there are a plethora of factors to consider that could affect aerospace structures. Lunar dust, or lunar regolith, composed of small rock fragments, glass beads, and minerals, is transformed by years of meteorite impacts. Lunar dust is quite corrosive, abrasive, reactive and adherent, necessitating effective mitigation strategies. Ceramics have emerged as a promising material selection in the aerospace industry for structural protection due to their high strength, excellent thermal properties, and resistance to degradation. Among these ceramics, zirconia (ZrO2) is a promising material, exhibiting exceptional mechanical and thermal properties. This study evaluates the resilience of an 8-wt.% yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) ceramic coating, tested against wear and erosion to characterize its degradation over time.

Ashley Tirado Pujols↗

DOE OSTI2024

Distributed Wind Summit ResDEEDs Presentation

Distributed wind listening session powerpoint presentation material, outlining to a general audience familiar with distributed wind why resiliency matters to distributed design and how the INL-developed ResDEEDs tool can be used to aid in resilient design.

overview↗

DOE OSTI2024

Engineering in Cyber Resilience with Cyber-Informed Engineering

Engineers have super powers to provide cybersecurity resilience with deterministic engineering solutions and to protect systems from the most catastrophic consequences that a cyber saboteur could cause. Come to this session to learn how to use engineering risk management skills to harden your engineered systems from cyberattacks. Objective 1 Identify what system functions could be digitally induced to cause undesired high-impact consequences. Objective 2 Analyze how loss or instability of digital controls in a subsystem could lead to high-impact consequences. Objective 3 Analyze how loss or instability in the digital connectivity between systems could lead to high-impact consequences. Objective 4 Identify engineering controls which could build resilience by eliminating digital loss or instability pathways or reduce the impact of digital loss or instability. This presentation will introduce Cyber-Informed Engineering, described below, and walk participants through specific engineering use cases to show how engineers can consider the potential for cyber sabotage in their existing system designs and enact deterministic engineering-based controls which eliminate pathways for attack or mitigate specific consequences. A wide variety of application use cases will be considered so that audience members can align the material with familiar engineering applications. CIE is an engineering approach that integrates cyber resilience into the conception, design, build, and operation of any physical system that has digital connectivity, sensors, monitoring, or control. CIE offers the opportunity to use engineering to eliminate or mitigate avenues for cyber attack—starting from the earliest stage of design and continuing throughout the system’s lifecycle. Today, engineers and industrial control system (ICS) technicians build engineered systems with specific goals for safety, reliability, and functionality. While systems engineering includes considerable safety and failure mode analysis, cybersecurity risks are often not specifically addressed—particularly the risks of intentional cyber compromise, exploitation, and misuse. Cyber-Informed Engineering pairs well with traditional cyber defenses and offers an extra designed-in protection to eliminate the most catastrophic consequences which can be realized by an adversary should traditional cyber defenses fail.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2021

Electric-field-induced crossover of polarization reversal mechanisms in Al 1–x Sc x N ferroelectrics

Scandium-doped aluminum nitride, Al 1–x Sc x N, represents a new class of displacive ferroelectric materials with high polarization and sharp hysteresis along with high-temperature resilience, facile synthesizability and compatibility with standard CMOS fabrication techniques. The fundamental physics behind the transformation of unswitchable piezoelectric AlN into switchable Al–Sc–N ferroelectrics depends upon important atomic properties such as local structure, dopant distributions and the presence of competing mechanism of polarization switching in the presence of an applied electric-field that have not been understood. We computationally synthesize Al 1–x Sc x N to quantify the inhomogeneity of Sc distribution and phase segregation, and characterize its crystal and electronic structure as a function of Sc-doping. Nudged elastic band calculations of the potential energy surface and quantum molecular dynamics simulations of direct electric-field-driven ferroelectric switching reveal a crossover between two polarization reversal mechanisms—inhomogeneous nucleation-and-growth mechanism originating near Sc-rich regions in the limit of low applied fields and nucleation-limited-switching in the high-field regime. Finally, understanding polarization reversal pathways for these two mechanisms as well as the role of local Sc concentration on activation barriers provides design rules to identify other combinations of dopant elements, such as Zr, Mg etc. to synthesize superior AlN-based ferroelectric materials.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2021

Materials and Fuels Complex (FY2021-2025 Five-Year Mission Strategy)

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Glass-Bonded Monazite Waste Forms for Lanthanide and Actinide Immobilization: From Theoretical Design to Scale-Up Production and Characterization

The development of nuclear waste forms for both existing and future nuclear wastes is critical to ensuring global environmental safety. This study focuses on waste management from molten salt reactors, where fuel exists in a salt form and could be processed in real time for the removal of neutron poisons such as xenon isotopes (e.g., 135 Xe) and rare earth elements (REEs, e.g., 149 Sm). To ensure safe, stable, and long-term disposal in geological repositories, REEs must be incorporated into a durable waste form. Iron-phosphate glasses are a promising candidate due to their low melting points, high chemical durability, and their ability to incorporate high concentrations of REEs. In this study, we successfully prepared iron-phosphate glass waste forms with high Nd loadings (up to 37 mass %) in batch sizes ranging from small (23 g) to large (1600 g). The resulting materials contained up to 75 mass % NdPO 4 , contributing to their mechanical resilience and exceptional chemical durability. These findings highlight the potential of iron-phosphate glasses as high-efficiency, chemically durable waste forms and demonstrate the successful transition from theoretical design to scaled-up production.

amorphous materials↗

NASA NTRS2006

Improved Seals for High Temperature Airframe Applications

Current thermal barrier seals, such as those used on the Space Shuttle, are insufficient to fully meet the demands of future hypersonic vehicles and reentry spacecraft. Previous investigations have demonstrated limited usage temperatures, as evidenced by a decreased ability to maintain sealing effectiveness at high temperatures (i.e., inadequate resiliency). In order to improve resiliency at elevated temperatures, Rene 41 (Allvac) was substituted for Inconel X-750 (Special Metals Corp.) as the spring tube material in the existing seal design. A seal construction incorporating the Rene 41 spring tube was fabricated and tested against the baseline Inconel X-750 spring tube seal. Although resiliency improvements were not as dramatic as in previous tests with the spring tubes alone, seals incorporating the Rene 41 spring tube exhibited an average 20 percent resiliency enhancement up to 1750 F when compared to seals containing the Inconel spring tube. In addition, the seals with the Rene 41 spring tubes showed less reduction in resiliency as temperatures increased above 1200 F. Results also indicated the Saffil (Saffil Ltd.) insulation in the core of the seal contributed more to resiliency than previously thought. Leakage data did not demonstrate an improvement with the seal containing the Rene 41 spring tube. However, based upon resiliency results, one could reasonably expect the Rene 41 version of the seal to track gap openings over a wider range. Therefore it would exhibit lower leakage than the Inconel X-750 version as the seal gap opens during a typical mission.

DeMange, Jeffrey J.↗