Nuclear and Applied Materials Research Group

Nuclear and Applied Materials Research Group Homepage

Our group focuses on fundamental and applied research in the areas of materials for nuclear energy, ranging from applications in current light water reactors, accident-tolerant fuels, advanced Generation IV reactors, used fuel storage and disposal, and in general materials for extreme environments.  We have research programs for understanding corrosion in harsh reactor-relevant environments of molten salts, helium, high temperature pressurized water, and super-critical carbon-dioxide. Other areas we focus on include irradiation effects in materials, advanced manufacturing, and tribology.

The group has strong expertise in surface modification and coatings technologies for materials and conducts research and development to address materials-related challenges for applications in the aerospace, nuclear energy, transportation, and biomaterials technology sectors.  Presently, we are at the forefront of development of cold spray materials deposition technology for both fundamental understanding of coating formation mechanisms and applications.

Our research is primarily experimental, and students and scientists work closely with Wisconsin Centers for Nanoscale Technologies for both conventional and advanced characterization of materials down to nanometric length-scales to understand the interplay between materials’ structural evolution, manufacturing processes, and degradation mechanisms.

The group has strong collaborations with U.S. National Laboratories, industry, and Nuclear Science User Facilities and associated institutions.  Alumni from the group are employed at national laboratories, industry, universities, and small business start-ups.

Interested in joining our group? Check out the Openings page.