The research, published in Nuclear Materials and Energy, focuses on how fuel gets stuck in reactor walls, which could make future nuclear power plants harder to maintain.

It will also aim to design new graphite materials that are made to withstand extreme conditions in nuclear reactors; it includes studying them to find out how the lifespan can be improved.

A scientific scandal from the 1980s involving cold fusion may lead to more efficient fusion reactors, thanks to a team at the University of British Columbia.