IAEA project aims to develop polymer irradiation model

March 26, 2026, 3:00PMNuclear News
Radiation can change polymers in ways that enable their use in many industrial and healthcare applications. A new IAEA coordinated research project will explore how machine learning can improve prediction of structural changes in polymers caused by ionizing radiation. (Image: IAEA)

The International Atomic Energy Agency has launched a new coordinated research project (CRP) aimed at creating a database of polymer-radiation interactions in the next five years with the long-term goal of using the database to enable machine learning–based predictive models.

Radiation-induced modifications are widely applicable across a range of fields including healthcare, agriculture, and environmental applications, and exposure to radiation is a major factor when considering materials used at nuclear power plants.