Editorial: Structures and properties of fluorite-related systems for nuclear applications

The application of diffraction, microscopy and spectroscopy techniques allows researchers to understand remarkable details of polymorphic and morphotropic phase transformations in pristine samples, but also in the out-of-equilibrium conditions typical of radiation damage. Understanding and modelling microstructural evolution and phase stability under chemical and physical conditions relevant to applications, but also chemistry and structural evolution at interfaces, is of paramount importance to understand and design materials and material interfaces with radiation, where temperature gradients and chemical phenomena can span multiple length and time scales. These observations and models provide valuable information for the fabrication and performance of advanced nuclear fuels, especially those containing minor actinides. In these complex systems, understanding thermodynamics, transport and chemical behaviour remains challenging, but it also provides opportunities for developing new approaches for nanoscale characterisation and simulation. The collective contributions of these 6 articles provide a snapshot and underscore the potential of techniques and models in advancing our understanding of advanced nuclear ceramic materials with fluorite-related structures.

BALDINOZZI Gianguido;  WISS Thierry; 

2025-05-08

FRONTIERS MEDIA S.A.

JRC142182

2813-3412 (online),   

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nuclear-engineering/articles/10.3389/fnuen.2025.1619584/full,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC142182,   

10.3389/fnuen.2025.1619584 (online),