Carbon Nanotubes Protect Metal from Radiation

Mar-06-16 Researchers have demonstrated that adding carbon nanotubes to metal helps protect the metal against radiation damage, opening the door to safer nuclear reactors.

Radiation damages metal because it causes the atoms in the metal to spilt, which in turn causes helium to form around the grain boundaries. These helium bubbles weaken the metal, making it more prone to breakage.

The protective nature of the nanotubes was proven by a team from MIT, who found that mixing a small amount of the carbon nanotubes—less than two percent of the volume of the metal—results in a “percolating one-dimensional transport network” that will move the helium out of the metal before the bubbles can form. As an added benefit, the nanotubes also improve the metal’s strength and ductility.

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[GIZMAG.COM]
[NEWS.MIT.EDU]

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