The importance of materials selection in the nuclear industry

Every technology depends on the choice of appropriate materials. More than any other sector, the nuclear industry has to be concerned with mastering the material problems posed by its operation and development, both for economic reasons and to achieve the highest levels of safety and reliability. This need is reinforced by factors specific to the nuclear industry: the influence of irradiation, high reactor operating temperatures, difficulty of access to contaminated areas for repair, contact with new chemical media, particular mechanical and thermal stresses, long life, etc. As a consumer of a wide variety of materials, the nuclear industry must attach particular importance to controlling the properties of the materials it uses, and their development, throughout the cycle. It is important to predict their behaviour and properties over timescales ranging from a few years or tens of years...