Irradiated Material Characterization & Testing

Exterior photograph of irradiated materials testing facilities

Our licensed material testing facilities make us the supplier of choice for R&D, testing, and material characterization of irradiated and radioactive materials.

Our Global Team

Canada

Marcy Sanderson VP, Strategic Growth and Innovation

Our Global Team

United States

Jenna Gatto VP, Operations

Our Global Team

International

Shahrokh Zangeneh Chief Commercial Officer

Irradiated Material Characterization & Testing Overview

Worker in full protective suit performing tasks under a fume hood

Corrosion, fatigue, and hydrogen ingress can all give rise to a change in the properties of materials over time. In nuclear reactors, irradiation damage can also be a problem.

While considerable work is done in advance in order to predict effects, and non-destructive testing is used for ongoing inspections, some things can only be confirmed by extracting the irradiated components and testing them.

Such testing not only requires the capability to machine samples and execute the tests but, as it must be done on activated and contaminated materials, it requires shielding, containment, appropriate operating practices, and approval from the nuclear regulator.

We provide a full-service capability to characterize the mechanical and metallurgical properties of highly radioactive and irradiated materials, such as ex-service irradiated Zr-2.5Nb pressure tubes from CANDU reactors. In addition to the testing, we offer shipping, receiving, waste disposal, material preparation, specimen machining, post-test examination, and interpretation of the results. Our capabilities are further expanded through our partnership with McMaster University.

Why Our Irradiated Material Characterization & Testing?

Well Developed Licensed Test Facility

Our licensed irradiated material test facility has been developed, maintained, and expanded over several decades to serve the nuclear industry’s irradiated material testing needs.
Industry Leading Practical Experience

The professional engineers and highly trained technologists that make up our team have several decades of practical working knowledge on how to handle radioactive materials safely.
Commercially Operated "Warm Cells"

Warm cells are shielded and employ remote handling like hot cells but are designed for handling activated components rather than more radioactive materials like fuels. They are a cost-effective way to provide commercial inspection and test services.
Extensive Testing Capabilities

We perform a variety of mechanical tests on irradiated specimens including tensile, fatigue, and fracture toughness tests. We also test for delayed hydride cracking and overload crack initiation, and measure hydrogen concentration in irradiated pellets.

Our Irradiated Material Characterization & Testing Technical Abilities

Table of Contents

Joint Kinectrics/McMaster Material Preparation and Specimen Machining Facility

Our partnership with McMaster University includes the capability to:

Hydride Irradiated Pressure Tube Sections to Elevate Hydrogen Levels
Machine Specimens Using EDM or CNC mills
Precisely Machine Notches Using a CNC mill

View inside of a Hot Cell at McMaster University

Irradiated Fatigue and Overload Test Facility

Our irradiated materials test facility includes custom-developed mechanical test systems equipped with uninterruptible power supplies that enable the performance of long load-rise time fatigue tests and overload tests on miniature specimens.

Workstations for monitoring test subjects in nearby radioactive fume hood

Joint Kinectrics/KAERI Irradiated Burst Test Facility

This facility was developed specifically to perform burst tests on full-scale irradiated Zr-Nb pressure tube specimens to measure their fracture toughness.

Closeup photograph of ruptured part contained within hot cell

Our Proven Experience

Quality Assurance & Technical Standards

ASTM E08 Committee: Committee E08 on Fatigue and Fracture
ASTM E28 Committee: Committee E28 on Mechanical Testing
CSA N285.4 (2019): Periodic inspection of CANDU nuclear power plant components
CSA N285.8 (2015): Technical requirements for in-service evaluation of zirconium alloy pressure tubes in CANDU reactors
ISO 9001: Quality Management System