Liquid lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) is one of the candidate materials for advanced nuclear systems. The structural materials used in contact with LBE are selected according to the resistance to liquid metal corrosion, irradiation embrittlement, and compatibility with the coolant. However, simultaneous presence of mechanical strain and LBE environment can induce liquid metal embrittlement (LME) in these materials. In this study, a specimen from candidate ferritic-martensitic steel T91 was tested by Constant Extension Rate Tensile (CERT) test exposed to PbBi environment with oxygen concentration 6 × 10⁻⁶ wt % at 300 °C up to rupture. Post-test examination using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed a deep crack indicating features of LME in the plastic strained region of the tested specimen. Further investigations focused on characterization of the fracture path and microstructure determination using focused ion beam (FIB) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry/electron backscatter diffraction (EDX/EBSD). This observation revealed that the dominant LME failure mode of the observed crack is translath or transgranular and the crack stopped at the high-angle grain boundary. The role of oxides in the crack initiation is discussed.

In recent years, non-thermal plasma (NTP) has emerged as a promising tool for decontamination and disinfection within the food industry. Given the increasing resistance of microbial biofilms to conventional disinfectants and their adverse environmental effects, this method has significant potential for eliminating biofilm formation or mitigating the metabolic activity of grown biofilms. A comparative study was conducted evaluating the efficacy of UV radiation and NTP in eradicating mature biofilms of four common foodborne filamentous fungal contaminants: Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium culmorum, and Fusarium graminearum. The findings reveal that while UV radiation exhibits variable efficacy depending on the duration of exposure and fungal species, NTP induces substantial morphological alterations in biofilms, disrupting hyphae, and reducing extracellular polymeric substance production, particularly in A. alternata and F. culmorum. Notably, scanning electron microscopy analysis demonstrates significant disruption of the hyphae in NTP-treated biofilms, indicating its ability to penetrate the biofilm matrix, which is a promising outcome for biofilm eradication strategies. The use of NTP could offer a more environmentally friendly and potentially more effective alternative to traditional disinfection methods.

Correct mathematical models of a reactor core in benchmarking of reactor physics experiments require detailed knowledge of exact isotopic composition of fuel pellets, especially the presence of neutron absorbers. Among them, knowledge of 234U and 236U abundance in fuel is important, because their absorption is considerably stronger than that of the most common 238U and their concentration is significantly higher than any other absorbers. Thus, the fuel pellets used in the nuclear research reactor LR-0 have been experimentally investigated using the procedure that involves a method of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), which allowed for analyses of miniature amount of the pellet material without disturbing its integrity. The pellets were swiped with cotton cloths and the microscopic particles collected on the cloth were analyzed. The isotopic composition of individual uranium particles then provided information required for the reactor core modeling and in addition to that some hints about used source materials, history of nuclear material, and the manufacturing process of the pellets.