PNNL

Dr. Kruska has been a scientist in the Reactor Materials and Mechanical Designs group at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, studying corrosion, ageing, and irradiation effects in materials relevant to current and future nuclear reactors since 2015. Previously, she was a postdoctoral research associate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where she studied the solidification and heat-treatment of AZ91 Mg alloys for automotive components with a variety of electron microscopy techniques, including dynamical transmission electron microscopy. She received her diploma in physics from the Technical University of Clausthal, Germany in 2008, where she worked in atomic and molecular physics on surfaces using scanning tunneling microscopy to study reconstructions of the SrTiO3 surface. Her PhD (2012) and a subsequent postdoctoral assignment (2012 – 2013) at the Department of Materials, Oxford University, focused on stress corrosion cracking mechanisms in stainless steels and Ni alloys. She became an expert in a wide range of nanoanalysis techniques, from electron backscatter diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam, electron energy-loss spectroscopy, and energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy in scanning transmission electron microscopy, to laser-assisted atom probe tomography. Recently, she has developed an interest in the application of cryogenic preservation capabilities to materials science problems and achieving a mechanistic understanding of transient conditions that are impossible to observe with conventional techniques.

• Mechanistic Understanding of Aqueous Oxidation and Corrosion Mechanisms
• Materials Degradation in Extreme Environments
• Application of Cryogenic Preservation Capabilities to Materials Science
• Cutting Edge, High-Resolution Characterization and Sample Preparation Techniques

• PhD in Materials Science, University of Oxford
• MS in Physics, Technische Universität Clausthal

• American Nuclear Society
• Materials Research Society

2021

• Kruska K., W. Jiang, X. Wang, L. Shao, B.J. Riley, and R. Devanathan. 2021. "Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and Atom-probe Tomography Data Quantifying Component-Ratios of Multicomponent Nano-Precipitates in Ion-Irradiated Ceria." Data in Brief 39. PNNL-SA-155990. doi:10.1016/j.dib.2021.107460
• Kruska K., W. Jiang, X. Wang, L. Shao, B.J. Riley, and R. Devanathan. 2021. "Formation of multicomponent alloy particles in doped ceria under I2+ ion irradiation and thermal annealing." Journal of Nuclear Materials 545. PNNL-SA-150713. doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2020.152638

2019

• Devanathan R., W. Jiang, K. Kruska, M.A. Conroy, T.C. Droubay, and J.M. Schwantes. 2019. "Hexagonal Close-Packed High-Entropy Alloy Formation under Extreme Processing Conditions." Journal of Materials Research 34, no. 5:709-719. PNNL-SA-137859. doi:10.1557/jmr.2018.438
• Jiang W., M.A. Conroy, K. Kruska, M.J. Olszta, T.C. Droubay, J.M. Schwantes, and C.A. Taylor, et al. 2019. "In situ Study of Particle Precipitation in Metal-doped CeO2 during Thermal Treatment and Ion Irradiation for Emulation of Irradiating Fuels." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 123, no. 4:2591-2601. PNNL-SA-139442. doi:10.1021/acs.jpcc.8b11027
• Kruska K., D.K. Schreiber, M.J. Olszta, B.J. Riley, and S.M. Bruemmer. 2019. "Comparison of selective oxidation in Ni-based alloys exposed to PWR primary water and Rhines Pack environments." In 19th International Conference on Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems - Water Reactors, (EnvDeg 2019), August 18-22, 2019, Boston, MA, 572-581. La Grange Park, Illinois: American Nuclear Society. PNNL-SA-146936.
• Lee K., B.J. Riley, H. Park, J. Choi, S. Han, J. Hur, and J.A. Peterson, et al. 2019. "Investigation of physical and chemical properties for upgraded SAP (SiO2-Al2O3-P2O5) waste form to immobilize radioactive waste salt." Journal of Nuclear Materials 515, no. 2019:382-391. PNNL-SA-130870. doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2019.01.004
• McCloy J.S., B.J. Riley, J.V. Crum, J. Marcial, J.T. Reiser, K. Kruska, and J.A. Peterson, et al. 2019. "Crystallization Study of Rare Earth and Molybdenum Containing Nuclear Waste Glass Ceramics." Journal of the American Ceramic Society 102, no. 9:5149-5163. PNNL-SA-122002. doi:10.1111/jace.16406

2018

• Exertier F., A. La Fontaine, C. Corcoran, S. Piazolo, E. Belousova, Z. Peng, and B. Gault, et al. 2018. "Atom probe tomography analysis of the reference Zircon GJ-1: An interlaboratory study." Chemical Geology 495. PNNL-SA-130160. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2018.07.031
• Jiang W., S.R. Spurgeon, Z. Zhu, X. Yu, K. Kruska, T. Wang, and J.G. Gigax, et al. 2018. "Chemical imaging and diffusion of hydrogen and lithium in lithium aluminate." Journal of Nuclear Materials 511. PNNL-SA-134630. doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2018.08.057

2017

• Jiang W., K. Kruska, C.H. Henager, and R.J. Kurtz. 2017. "PROGRESS IN THE STUDY OF ION IRRADIATION IN TUNGSTEN." In Fusion Materials Semianual Progress Report For Period Ending December 31, 2016, edited by D Clark. 115-119. Oak Ridge, Tennessee:Oak Ridge National Laboratory. PNNL-SA-124007.
• Jiang W., M.A. Conroy, K. Kruska, N.R. Overman, T.C. Droubay, J. Gigax, and L. Shao, et al. 2017. "Nanoparticle Precipitation in Irradiated and Annealed Ceria Doped with Metals for Emulation of Spent Fuels." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 121, no. 40:22465-22477. PNNL-SA-126918. doi:10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b06188
• Kruska K., Z. Zhai, and S.M. Bruemmer. 2017. "Characterization of SCC Initiation Precursors in Cold-Worked Alloy 690." In CORROSION 2017, March 26-30, New Orleans, Louisiana, Paper No. NACE-2017-9717. Houston, Tx, Texas: NACE International. PNNL-SA-121496.
• Overman N.R., S.A. Whalen, M.E. Bowden, M.J. Olszta, K. Kruska, T. Clark, and E.L. Stevens, et al. 2017. "Homogenization and Texture Development in Rapidly Solidified AZ91E Consolidated by Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE)." Materials Science and Engineering. A. Structural Materials: Properties, Microstructure and Processing 701. PNNL-SA-122981. doi:10.1016/j.msea.2017.06.062
• Riley B.J., J.D. Vienna, S.M. Frank, J.O. Kroll, J.A. Peterson, N.L. Canfield, and Z. Zhu, et al. 2017. "Glass Binder Development for a Glass-Bonded Sodalite Ceramic Waste Form." Journal of Nuclear Materials 489. PNNL-SA-123338. doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.03.041
• Riley B.J., J.O. Kroll, J.A. Peterson, D.A. Pierce, W.L. Ebert, B.D. Williams, and M. Snyder, et al. 2017. "Assessment of lead tellurite glass for immobilizing electrochemical salt wastes from used nuclear fuel reprocessing." Journal of Nuclear Materials 495. PNNL-SA-125402. doi:10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.08.037
• Zhai Z., K. Kruska, M.B. Toloczko, and S.M. Bruemmer. 2017. "Precursor evolution and SCC initiation of cold-worked alloy 690 in simulated PWR primary water." In CORROSION 2017, March 29-30, 2017, New Orleans, Louisiana, Paper No. NACE-2017-9475. Houston, Tx, Texas: NACE International. PNNL-SA-121146.
• Zhai Z., M.B. Toloczko, K. Kruska, and S.M. Bruemmer. 2017. "Precursor Evolution and Stress Corrosion Cracking Initiation of Cold-Worked Alloy 690 in Simulated Pressurized Water Reactor Primary Water." Corrosion 73, no. 10:1224-1236. PNNL-SA-125212. doi:10.5006/2470
• Zhai Z., M.B. Toloczko, K. Kruska, D.K. Schreiber, and S.M. Bruemmer. 2017. "Grain boundary damage evolution and SCC initiation of cold-worked alloy 690 in simulated PWR primary water." In Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems - Water Reactors (EDM 2017), edited by JH Jackson, D Paraventi and M Wright, 457-483. Cham:Springer. PNNL-SA-129136. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-67244-1_29

2014

• Schreiber D.K., A.N. Chiaramonti, L.M. Gordon, and K. Kruska. 2014. "Applicability of post-ionization theory to laser-assisted field evaporation of magnetite." Applied Physics Letters 105, no. 24:Article No. 244106. PNNL-SA-105670. doi:10.1063/1.4904802