Rensselaer Professor Jie Lian has been awarded $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the Nuclear Energy University Research Program (NEUP) to conduct research and develop new materials that will make advanced nuclear reactors more resilient and economically efficient. Dr. Lian, the principle investigator of the project, will be joined by collaborators Rahul Rahul, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Suvranu De, Florida A&M University-Florida State University; Lu Cai, Idaho National Laboratory Program; Patrick Shower, GE Global Research Center; and Eric Brown, U.S. Army Benét Laboratory.

The high-temperature corrosion of molten salts presents a unique challenge for the application of structural materials. The current materials for light water reactors will not function well in future extreme reactor environments such as high temperature and radiation, and extensive corrosion. Dr. Lian’s team will focus on the research and development of advanced materials that will provide for extended and improved performance, which is critical for those environments… Continue reading.