Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32Understanding how irradiation affects graphite Boise State University and INL won collaborative research funding through the DOE Office of Science EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), an accomplishment INL has not achieved for several years. The team will study how different irradiation conditions affect thermal and mechanical properties, as well as the evolution of defects in nuclear-grade graphite. Graphite that will be used within the core of next-generation nuclear reactors experiences material changes in the high-temperature irradiation environment. Understanding the mechanisms of defect formation will allow life-limiting properties to be predicted with a much higher degree of certainty. 27 Macropore structure (millimeter scale) in a typical nuclear graphite sample. Pore structure is an important consideration when determining changes to the material after irradiation.