Background: Future fusion energy systems will require high-value, scalable and reliable manufacturing of radiation-tolerant fusion materials & components for successful deployment. Vanadium alloys, particularly the V-4Cr-4Ti (V44) system, are promising for fusion first-wall/breeder blanket applications due to their high thermal conductivity, excellent compatibility with liquid lithium, low neutron activation, and good thermal creep properties [1]. V44 also offers a broader operating temperature window under irradiation (~400 to >700 °C) than RAFM steel, making it suitable for high-temperature reactor concepts where steels fall short.
A key challenge is V44’s susceptibility to impurity element contamination during manufacturing and service which leads to mechanical degradation. Particularly, oxygen-induced embrittlement of V44 is problematic for designing and safely operating fusion components like helium-cooled structures in breeder blankets [2,3]. Two approaches have been proposed to tackle this:
(i) Produce ultra-pure V44 via tight manufacturing controls (as trialled in Japan), or
(ii) Engineer scalable processing strategies to tolerate and manage impurities through materials engineering.
The first approach may limit scalability and, critically, doesn’t address impurity uptake concern during fusion service. Therefore, this project will focus on the second option—developing specific processing & thermomechanical treatments (TMTs) to mitigate the impact of interstitial impurities during manufacturing. This includes conducting a parametric study to explore scalable pathways for transforming impurity elements from liabilities into assets by trapping them in beneficial microstructural phases that could improve achievable high temperature strength and/or enhance radiation tolerance.
Project Scope: This EngD project will explore interstitial impurity management in V44 via advanced manufacturing and a parametric study of TMT-based processing routes. Key areas of focus include:
- Development of casting process
- Parametric study of hot-rolling, and heat treatment sequences.
- Investigating the role of minor additives on alloy behaviour and manufacturability.
- Optimization of heat treatment for precipitation control
- Guiding lab to industrial translation with the industrial partner.
The University of Birmingham is equipped with state-of-the-art alloy design & processing capabilities, which includes a semi-industry scale Vacuum Induction Skull Melter capable of producing mid-scale castings, a newly commissioned hot-rolling press and a suite of advanced characterization facilities.
Supervision and Collaborations: You will be based at the University of Birmingham, collaborated & co-funded by ATI as an industrial partner from the US. You will also have the unique opportunity to engage with Tokamak Energy (UK) and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)—bridging alloy design with component-level fusion applications. You will work in a collaborative, diverse, and innovation-focused environment at the heart of UK fusion R&D.
Who we are looking for: A first or upper-second-class degree in manufacturing, materials engineering, mechanical or nuclear engineering, chemistry, or physics. Enthusiastic, curious minds welcome.
Contact: Prof. Arun Bhattacharya a.bhattacharya.1@bham.ac.uk, Dr. Noah Philips noah.philips@atimaterials.com, Dr. Ben Eick ben.eick@atimaterials.com Please include your CV and transcripts.
This EngD project is set within the Fusion Engineering CDT at the University of Birmhingham. Students will recieve a 3-month training programme in fusion engineering at the start of the course, delivered across the CDT partner universities. For further information about the CDT, please visit the website or send an email to hello@fusion-engineering-cdt.ac.uk.
Apply for this project now at the University of Brimingham at https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply.
[1] S.J Zinkle et al., J. Nucl. Mater. 258-263 (1) (1998) 205-214
[2] B. Pint, J. DiStefano, J. Nucl. Mater. 307-311 (2022) 560-565.
[3] T.Muroga et al. J. Nucl. Mater. 455(1-3) (2014) 263-268
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