Invited speaker: Stephen Byrne

Stephen Byrne is a doctoral researcher at Lancaster University specialising in nuclear materials. His current research investigates the electrochemical corrosion behaviour of 20Cr-25Ni-Nb austenitic stainless steel, used as advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) fuel cladding, under gamma irradiation conditions relevant to the wet storage of spent nuclear fuel. His work combines electrochemical techniques with electrochemical quartz crystal nanobalance (EQCN) measurements, enabling in-situ investigation of passive film behaviour and corrosion processes at the nanogram scale. Alongside this, his research incorporates the modelling and measurement of the kinetics and steady-state behaviour of gamma-radiation-induced water radicals, further examining their interactions with steel surfaces and their influence on corrosion behaviour.