Corrosion is an important threat to the proper functioning of nuclear plants. We are living an energy crisis. With my PhD, I am doing my bit to help finding solutions in this challenging situation: I am studying how materials inside nuclear power plant vessels, such as nickel superalloys, degrade over time in a harsh environment. The ultimate aim is to make parts in power plants more reliable in the long run.
InnovaXN is an incredibly interesting programme because we are working together with industry to answer relevant scientific questions using big research facilities. The ESRF, the CNRS and the company Framatome are part of this project. On ID11 I will try to reproduce the processes that take place inside a nuclear reactor and understand what happens in situ, thanks to the high brilliance and high energy of the Extremely Brilliant Source.
I have experience in metallurgy, having studied my Bachelor’s and Master’s in this field. I also come from an area in Brazil (Minas Gerais) that has traditionally been one of the biggest suppliers of metals and ore in the whole world, and therefore with a very strong knowledge in metallurgy and materials science.
The most exciting part about my job is being able to look at something difficult and trying to extract interesting information. I believe I have the best conditions in my PhD to make groundbreaking science, as it combines a very powerful machine and techniques and the top names in the field.