{"id":1011,"date":"2026-08-01T08:33:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T13:33:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/?p=1011"},"modified":"2026-08-01T08:33:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T13:33:29","slug":"m-moorehead-p-agrawal-m-nelson-t-yoder-c-n-taylor-m-d-matos-ii-m-eklund-a-pomo-a-preston-j-rufner-p-c-simon-s-pitts-l-k-aagesen-r-skifton-r-e-garcia-new-class-of-trit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/2026\/08\/01\/m-moorehead-p-agrawal-m-nelson-t-yoder-c-n-taylor-m-d-matos-ii-m-eklund-a-pomo-a-preston-j-rufner-p-c-simon-s-pitts-l-k-aagesen-r-skifton-r-e-garcia-new-class-of-trit\/","title":{"rendered":"M. Moorehead, P. Agrawal, M. Nelson, T. Yoder, C. N Taylor, M. D. Matos II, M. Eklund, A. Pomo, A. Preston, J. Rufner, P.-C. Simon, S. Pitts, L. K. Aagesen, R. Skifton, R.E. Garc\u00eda “New Class of Tritium Breeders for Fusion Applications: Metal-Reinforced Composite Breeders.” Materials Today Energy, 102118, 2025."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

M. Moorehead, P. Agrawal, M. Nelson, T. Yoder, C. N Taylor, M. D. Matos II, M. Eklund, A. Pomo, A. Preston, J. Rufner, P.-C. Simon, S. Pitts, L. K. Aagesen, R. Skifton, R.E. Garc\u00eda “New Class of Tritium Breeders for Fusion Applications: Metal-Reinforced Composite Breeders.<\/em>” Materials Today Energy<\/strong>, 102118, 2025. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.mtener.2025.102118<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abstract<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Commercial fusion reactors operating on a deuterium\u2013tritium (D\u2013T) fuel cycle will require a steady supply of tritium to maintain the burning plasma required for continuous power generation. Tritium is most easily produced by surrounding a fusion reactor core with a breeder material containing lithium (Li), which reacts under the intense neutron flux leaving the reactor core to form tritium and helium. Unfortunately, most of the liquid breeders historically considered are exceedingly corrosive to reactor structural materials, while many solid (ceramic) breeders are forced to make tradeoffs between Li content and mechanical integrity. In this work, a new class of solid tritium breeders is developed to break the historic limit between Li-density and mechanical integrity of traditional solid breeders: metal-reinforced composite (MERC) breeders. Specifically, the high Li-density of lithium oxide (Li2<\/sub>O) is exploited through the addition of a metal reinforcing phase, producing a composite breeder material that exhibits high strength and quasi-ductility with a Li-density greater than other leading solid breeder candidates, including lithium orthosilicate (Li4<\/sub>SiO4<\/sub>) and lithium metatitanate (Li2<\/sub>TiO3<\/sub>). Mechanical testing, microstructural characterization, and results of neutronic simulations investigating the potential tritium breeding ratio (TBR) are presented and discussed considering blanket design implications for future fusion energy systems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

M. Moorehead, P. Agrawal, M. Nelson, T. Yoder, C. N Taylor, M.…<\/p>\n

Continue reading “M. Moorehead, P. Agrawal, M. Nelson, T. Yoder, C. N Taylor, M. D. Matos II, M. Eklund, A. Pomo, A. Preston, J. Rufner, P.-C. Simon, S. Pitts, L. K. Aagesen, R. Skifton, R.E. Garc\u00eda “New Class of Tritium Breeders for Fusion Applications: Metal-Reinforced Composite Breeders.” Materials Today Energy, 102118, 2025.”<\/span>…<\/a><\/div>\n
Continue reading \"M. Moorehead, P. Agrawal, M. Nelson, T. Yoder, C. N Taylor, M. D. Matos II, M. Eklund, A. Pomo, A. Preston, J. Rufner, P.-C. Simon, S. Pitts, L. K. Aagesen, R. Skifton, R.E. Garc\u00eda “New Class of Tritium Breeders for Fusion Applications: Metal-Reinforced Composite Breeders.” Materials Today Energy, 102118, 2025.\"<\/span>…<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[14,88,15],"class_list":["post-1011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-papers","tag-microstructures","tag-percolation","tag-properties","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peeeSR-gj","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":901,"url":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/2021\/08\/07\/o-a-torres-matheus-r-e-garcia-and-c-m-bishop-physics-based-optimization-of-landau-parameters-for-ferroelectrics-application-to-bzt-50bct-modelling-and-simulation-in-materials-science-and\/","url_meta":{"origin":1011,"position":0},"title":"O. A. Torres-Matheus, R.E. Garc\u00eda, and C. M. Bishop “Physics-based optimization of Landau parameters for ferroelectrics: application to BZT-50BCT.” Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering. 29 075001, 2021.","author":"redwing","date":"08\/07\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"O. A. Torres-Matheus, R.E. Garc\u00eda and C. M. Bishop \"Physics-based optimization of Landau parameters for ferroelectrics: application to BZT-50BCT.\" Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering. 29, 075001,. 2021. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1088\/1361-651X\/ac1a60 Abstract In analogy to thermochemical parameter optimization in the CALculation of PHAse Diagrams (CALPHAD) approach that relies on a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Papers"","block_context":{"text":"Papers","link":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/category\/papers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":879,"url":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/2021\/01\/21\/k-s-n-vikrant-x-l-phuah-j-lund-han-wang-c-s-hellberg-n-bernstein-w-rheinheimer-c-m-bishop-h-wang-and-r-e-garcia-modeling-of-flash-sintering-of-ionic-ceramics-mrs-bulletin-janua\/","url_meta":{"origin":1011,"position":1},"title":"K.S.N. Vikrant, X.L. Phuah, J. Lund, Han Wang, C.S. Hellberg, N. Bernstein, W. Rheinheimer, C.M. Bishop, H. Wang, and R.E. Garc\u00eda “Modeling of flash sintering of ionic ceramics.” MRS Bulletin, 46(1):67-75, 2021.","author":"redwing","date":"01\/21\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"K.S.N. Vikrant, X.L. Phuah, J. Lund, Han Wang, C.S. Hellberg, N. Bernstein, W. Rheinheimer, C.M. Bishop, H. Wang, and R.E. Garc\u00eda \"Modeling of flash sintering of ionic ceramics.\" MRS Bulletin, 46(1):67-75, 2021.\u00a0doi:10.1557\/s43577-020-00012-0 abstract A fundamental understanding of the influence of defects in ionic ceramics at the atomic, microstructural, and macroscopic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Papers"","block_context":{"text":"Papers","link":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/category\/papers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":817,"url":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/2019\/10\/19\/j-li-j-cho-j-ding-h-charalambous-s-xue-h-wang-x-l-phuah-j-jian-x-wang-c-ophus-t-tsakalakos-r-e-garcia-a-k-mukherjee-n-bernstein-c-s-hellberg-h-wang-x-zhang-nanoscale\/","url_meta":{"origin":1011,"position":2},"title":"J. Li, J. Cho, J. Ding, H. Charalambous, S. Xue, H. Wang, X.L. Phuah, J. Jian, X. Wang, C. Ophus, T. Tsakalakos, R.E. Garc\u00eda, A.K. Mukherjee, N. Bernstein, C.S. Hellberg, H. Wang, X. Zhang “Nanoscale stacking fault\u2013assisted room temperature plasticity in flash-sintered TiO2.” Science Advances. 5 (9): eaaw5519, 2019.","author":"redwing","date":"10\/19\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"J. Li, J. Cho, J. Ding, H. Charalambous, S. Xue, H. Wang, X.L. Phuah, J. Jian, X. Wang, C. Ophus, T. Tsakalakos, R.E. Garc\u00eda, A.K. Mukherjee, N. Bernstein, C.S. Hellberg, H. Wang, X. Zhang \"Nanoscale stacking fault\u2013assisted room temperature plasticity in flash-sintered TiO2.\" Science Advances. 5 (9):eaaw5519, 2019;\u00a0https:\/\/advances.sciencemag.org\/content\/5\/9\/eaaw5519?intcmp=trendmd-adv abstract Ceramic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Papers"","block_context":{"text":"Papers","link":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/category\/papers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":688,"url":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/2018\/01\/25\/c-vieira-a-jana-m-konieczny-r-e-garcia-and-a-magana-integrating-computational-science-tools-into-a-thermodynamic-course-journal-of-science-education-and-technology-januar\/","url_meta":{"origin":1011,"position":3},"title":"C. Vieira, A. Jana, M. Konieczny, R.E. Garc\u00eda, and A. Magana. \u201cIntegrating Computational Science Tools into a Thermodynamic Course.\u201d Journal of Science Education and Technology. January 2018.","author":"redwing","date":"01\/25\/2018","format":false,"excerpt":"C. Vieira, A. Jana, M. Konieczny, R.E. Garc\u00eda, and A. Magana. \u201cIntegrating Computational Science Tools into a Thermodynamic Course.\u201d Journal of Science Education and Technology. January, 2018. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10956-017-9726-9 Abstract Computational tools and methods have permeated multiple science and engineering disciplines, because they enable scientists and engineers to process large amounts\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Papers"","block_context":{"text":"Papers","link":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/category\/papers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":921,"url":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/2022\/06\/08\/l-d-robinson-k-s-n-vikrant-j-e-blendell-c-a-handwerker-r-e-garcia-interfacial-and-volumetric-melting-regimes-of-sn-nanoparticles-acta-materialia-in-press-2022\/","url_meta":{"origin":1011,"position":4},"title":"L.D. Robinson, K.S.N. Vikrant, J.E. Blendell, C.A. Handwerker, R.E. Garc\u00eda “Interfacial and Volumetric Melting Regimes of Sn Nanoparticles.” Acta Materialia. In Press. 2022","author":"redwing","date":"06\/08\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"L.D. Robinson, K.S.N. Vikrant, J.E. Blendell, C.A. Handwerker, and R.E. Garc\u00eda \"Interfacial and Volumetric Melting Regimes of Sn Nanoparticles.\" Acta Materialia. In Press. 2022.\u00a0https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.actamat.2022.118084 Abstract A thermodynamically consistent phase field formulation was developed to describe what has been historically known as the premelted surface layer in Sn nanoparticles. Two interfacial\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Papers"","block_context":{"text":"Papers","link":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/category\/papers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1-s2.0-S1359645422004657-ga1_lrg-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1-s2.0-S1359645422004657-ga1_lrg-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1-s2.0-S1359645422004657-ga1_lrg-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1-s2.0-S1359645422004657-ga1_lrg-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/1-s2.0-S1359645422004657-ga1_lrg-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":871,"url":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/2020\/10\/17\/d-weis-p-grohn-m-evers-m-thommes-r-e-garcia-s-antonyuk-implementation-of-formation-mechanisms-in-dem-simulation-of-the-spheronization-process-of-pharmaceutical-pellets-powder-technolog\/","url_meta":{"origin":1011,"position":5},"title":"D. Weis, P. Grohn, M. Evers, M. Thommes, R.E. Garc\u00eda, S. Antonyuk “Implementation of formation mechanisms in DEM simulation of the spheronization process of pharmaceutical pellets.” Powder Technology 378: 667\u2013679, (2021).","author":"redwing","date":"10\/17\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"D. Weis, P. Grohn, M. Evers, M. Thommes, R.E. Garc\u00eda, S. Antonyuk \"Implementation of formation mechanisms in DEM simulation of the spheronization process of pharmaceutical pellets.\" Powder Technology 378: 667\u2013679, (2021).\u00a0https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.powtec.2020.09.013 Abstract In the production process of pharmaceutical pellets with a narrow size distribution and a high sphericity, a combined\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Papers"","block_context":{"text":"Papers","link":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/category\/papers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1011"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1011\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1012,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1011\/revisions\/1012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engineering.purdue.edu\/ComputationalMaterials\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}