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Novel alloys like metallic glasses (MGs) hold the potential to revolutionize many scientific and industrial sectors including nuclear fusion (NF). These metallic materials with amorphous atomic structure possess outstanding mechanical properties in combination with high corrosion resistance and high radiation tolerance. They can be made and shaped in unique ways impossible for conventional crystalline materials. MGs also offer high compositional flexibility and can be tailored to various specific applications. Here, we give a brief overview on how the fusion sector can benefit from MGs and, as examples, highlight some specific use cases. We also outline a pathway for the future development of MGs specifically designed for the extreme environments occurring in NF.

This study aims to determine the performance of a commercial corrosion inhibitor (mixture of ethanediol, 2-butoxy ethanol, and fatty acid amine) in inhibiting weldment corrosion. The inhibitor's effect on parent metals (PM), heat affected zone (HAZ), and weld metal (WM) has been investigated on the corrosion behaviour of X65-welded structures in brine solution (10 m/s) using submerged jet impingement (SJI) flow loops. The results show that inhibitors can reduce the corrosion rate by 10 times to 0.36 mm/y for WM. Linear polarization resistance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) show that the WM exhibited the highest corrosion rate.

Zn–Fe multilayered alloy coatings were deposited on mild steel substrates using the dual bath electrodeposition technique. The produced coatings consisted of alternate Zn–1 wt% Fe and Zn–10 wt% Fe alloy sub-layers. Their periodicity length (total thickness of two adjacent alternate sub-layers) ranged between 2 and 8 μm. The surface and the cross-sectional morphology of those coatings were studied with the aid of a metallurgical microscope and a scanning electron microscope. The crystal structure of the electrodeposited multilayered coatings was investigated using an X-ray diffractometer. The Zn–1 wt% Fe and Zn–10 wt% Fe alloy sub-layers consisted of two phases: the η-phase (Zn–Fe solid solution) and the δ1-phase (intermetallic FeZn7). A microhardness tester equipped with a Vickers intender was used to examine the microhardness of the produced coatings. It was found that the microhardness increased with the decrease of periodicity length, following a modified Hall–Petch relationship.