Many U.S. reactors must be relicensed in order to operate into the next century. A key to this effort is the reactor vessel integrity, given the radiation damage produced over the previous 30 years. Blanchard and his students estimate the damage produced in existing reactor vessels and assess their ability to withstand further damage. This requires detailed neutron transport calculations, coupled with predictions of property changes in the steel vessels, particularly in the vicinity of welds. Blanchard's final interest area is characterizing ion-implanted surfaces.
Ion implantation improves the wear and corrosion resistance of many materials.
Simple methods of characterization are vital to improving the implantation processes. Because the properties of implanted materials vary with depth from the surface, interactions with the underlying structure complicate surface characterization. These efforts will provide improved techniques for assessing an implant's value.