Key Technology for Digital-intelligent Evaluation of Reactor Material in China Institute of Atomic Energy

The development of new nuclear reactors hinges on materials. For advanced reactor materials, particularly radiation-resistant materials, the research and development process faces complex extreme environments such as high-temperature long-term exposure, neutron irradiation, and environmental corrosion. This leads to lengthy development cycles and high costs. Currently, both domestically and internationally, there is limited accumulated experience, and few references are available. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a more efficient and intelligent new paradigm to accelerate research, development, and application. This paper proposes a new paradigm for the digital-intelligent development of reactor materials, which involves the cross-iterative integration of high-fidelity multiscale simulation technology, big data and artificial intelligence technology, and efficient experimental technology, all centered around material requirements, to achieve rapid material design and optimization. The realization of digital-intelligent development for reactor materials will significantly shorten the cycle and reduce the cost from material development to application. This paper focuses on the progress made by the China Institute of Atomic Energy in the aforementioned three key technologies, as well as the application effects in the development of typical reactor materials such as refractory alloys. Finally, the challenges and opportunities faced in the future deep integration of these three technologies to form a new digital-intelligent paradigm for reactor materials are summarized and prospected.