Current state and prospect on the development of advanced nuclear fuel system materials: a review

Abstract The intricate balance between reactor economics and safety necessitates the emergence of new and advanced nuclear systems and, very importantly, advanced materials, which can overcome current shortcomings and bring about more economic nuclear systems with designed-in inherent safety features. These advances will achieve greater safety and better nuclear reactor economics by reaching longer reactor lives with higher levels neutron irradiation, and by providing higher operation temperatures and resistance to more aggressive corrosive environments. This paper provides a review of the current state of research and development on innovative nuclear fuel materials design and development which have the potential of benefiting simultaneously reactor economics and safety. Our discussion focuses on three areas of research: Accident-tolerant Fuels (ATFs), Oxidation Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) steels and High Entropy Alloys (HEAs). The paper also gives a prospective description of future research activities on these materials.