Motivation for utilizing new high-performance advanced materials in nuclear energy systems

Despite the very demanding operational environment in nuclear reactors, there have been relatively few advanced high-performance materials introduced into fission reactors during the past 50 years. Some of the regulatory and operational barriers to the introduction of high performance materials are briefly discussed, and several examples of potential improvement in current and planned fission reactor systems that could be enabled by advanced structural materials for in-core applications are outlined. Enhanced non-proprietary public-private research and development on advanced structural materials could yield numerous performance, economic, environmental and safety benefits for current boiling water and pressurized water reactors as well as future Generation IV reactor systems such as sodium cooled fast reactors or very high temperature gas cooled reactors.