Contact

Dr. Eberhard Altstadt

Head
Structural Materials
e.altstadthzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 2276

Dr. Cornelia Kaden

c.kaden@hzdr.de, c.heintzehzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 3431

Publications

Hot Cell Testing Facilities

Structural Materials

We investigate the behavior of materials exposed to energetic particle irradiation. The work contributes to the program NUSAFE (Nuclear Waste Management, Safety and Radiation Research) of the Helmholtz Association.

Neutron irradiation provokes the formation and long-term evolution of nm-scale defects such as dislocation loops and solute atom clusters. These defects give rise to hardening accompanied by a reduced fracture resistance of reactor pressure vessel steels of running nuclear power plants. Materials for advanced reactor concepts will be exposed to higher operation temperatures and higher neutron doses. The overall objectives of our research are to identify the mechanisms of irradiation-induced damage in structural materials and to assess the resulting changes of the mechanical properties.

We work on two main directions:

In the case of running nuclear power plants, the work is focused on long-term irradiation effects in reactor pressure vessel steels.
Our work in the field of advanced reactor concepts is dedicated to ferritic/martensitic Cr-steels, oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels and the emerging class of high-entropy alloys.

The new insight substantially contributes to the scientific background for the safety assessment of nuclear reactors. The work is embedded in the Euratom projects SOTERIA, MATISSE and M4F. A close cooperation with the Fundamentals and Simulation Group provides additional insight via atomistic simulation.

Our expertise:

Latest Publication

Preparation of Volborthite by a Facile Synthetic Chemical Solvent Extraction Method

Sánchez-Loredo, M. G.; Palomares-Sánchez, S. A.; Labrada-Delgado, G. J.; Helbig, T.; Chekhonin, P.; Ebert, D.; Möckel, R.; Owusu Afriyie, J.; Kelly, N.

In this work, the extraction of vanadium (V) ions from an alkaline solution using a commercial quaternary ammonium salt and the production of metal vanadates through precipitation stripping were carried out. The crystallization of copper vanadates from the extracts was performed using a solution containing a copper(II) source in concentrated chloride media as a stripping agent. In an attempt to control growth, a stabilizing polymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone, PVP) was added to the stripping solution. The structural characteristics of the crystallized products, mainly copper pyrovanadate (volborthite, Cu3V2O7(OH)2·(H2O)2) nanoflakes and nanoflowers and the experimental parameter influencing the efficiency of the stripping process were studied. From the results, the synthesis of nanostructured vanadates is a simple and versatile method for the fabrication of valuable three-dimensional structures providing abundant active zones for energy and catalytic applications.

Keywords: vanadium(V) extraction; anion exchange; quaternary ammonium salt; precipitation stripping; nanostructured vanadates; volborthite; polyvinylpyrrolidone

Nanomaterials 13(2023), 1977
DOI: 10.3390/nano13131977

Team

Name	Bld./Office	+49 351 260	Email
Head
Dr. Eberhard Altstadt	801/P151	2276	e.altstadthzdr.de
Dr. Cornelia Kaden	801/P102	3431	c.kaden@hzdr.de, c.heintzehzdr.de
Employees
Name	Bld./Office	+49 351 260	Email
Dr. Frank Bergner	801/P150	3186	f.bergnerhzdr.de
Dr. Jann-Erik Brandenburg	801/P152	2301	j.brandenburghzdr.de
Dr. Paul Chekhonin	801/P146	2149	p.chekhoninhzdr.de
Mario Houska	801/P148	2242	m.houskahzdr.de
Libang Lai	801/P153	3032	l.laihzdr.de
Jens Pietzsch	801/P032	2814 3550	jens.pietzschhzdr.de
Dr. Andreas Ulbricht	801/P146	3155	a.ulbrichthzdr.de