A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, have developed machine learning models for designing next generation nuclear reactor materials.
According to IISc, advanced nuclear reactors offer enhanced efficiency and safety compared to the long-standing conventional reactors in use, which is achieved by changing either the type or the rate of nuclear reactions within the reactor core.
However, it said that these changes could lead to increased radiation exposure for core materials, like austenitic stainless steels, which were not originally designed to endure such conditions, and an alternative is a special type of steel called Ferritic-Martensitic (FM) steel, which is more resistant to damage caused by nuclear radiation.
