Luigi Bana
PhD thesis title: Development of advanced coatings for the extreme environment of nuclear fusion reactors
Academic Tutor: David Dellasega
Academic Supervisor: Matteo Passoni
Industrial Supervisor: Maria Elena Gennaro
Affiliate external company or research group: Eni SpA
PhD cycle: 38° (see all student profiles of the same cycle > LINK)
BSc: Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology, Politecnico di Milano
MSc: Nuclear engineering - Energy use and built environment, Politecnico di Milano
Four months at the Plasma Science and Fusion Center of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston
Progetto Roberto Rocca PhD fellowship
Thesis abstract
My PhD project is supported by Eni SpA and aims to develop advanced materials for power and particle exhaust in magnetic nuclear fusion reactors. I focus on the optimization of tungsten-based coatings produced by Physical Vapor Deposition techniques to protect materials susceptible of degradation in harsh environments, e.g. liquid metals and molten salts. In addition, plasma irradiation experiments are performed on tungsten coatings within the EUROfusion activities to assess their performance in the conditions of future fusion reactors like ITER and DEMO.
Personal interest in my research theme
My passion for this research lies in the challenge and potential of developing advanced materials for nuclear fusion reactors. I am interested in tailoring material properties through precise synthesis techniques able to directly control the coating growth and nanostructure. In addition, monitoring structural and morphological modifications at the nanoscale with advanced characterization tools is fascinating. Finally, with this research I am proud to contribute both to the efforts toward clean and reliable fusion energy and to the dissemination of this topic through the FuseNet community.
