M. Rasinski

Materials for DEMO and reactor applications-boundary conditions and new concepts

DEMO is the name for the first stage prototype fusion reactor considered to be the next step after ITER towards realizing fusion. For the realization of fusion energy especially, materials questions pose a significant challenge already today. Heat, particle and neutron loads are a significant problem to material lifetime when extrapolating to DEMO. For many of the issues faced, advanced materials solutions are under discussion or already under development. In particular, components such as the first wall and the divertor of the reactor can benefit from introducing new approaches such as composites or new alloys into the discussion. Cracking, oxidation as well as fuel management are driving issues when deciding for new materials. Here composites as well as strengthened CuCrZr components together with oxidation resilient tungsten alloys allow the step towards a fusion reactor. In addition, neutron induced effects such as transmutation, embrittlement and after-heat and activation are essential. Therefore, when designing a component an approach taking into account all aspects is required.

Morphology and composition of Fe–W coatings after deuterium plasma exposure as a model system for RAFM steels

A model system representing the RAFM steel EUROFER-97 is produced by magnetron sputter deposition of iron and 1.5 at% tungsten and investigated in order to study the consequences of plasma exposures. The alloy is deposited as coatings with a thickness of 400 nm on polycrystalline, high purity iron substrates. To understand the erosion mechanisms and morphology changes the coatings were exposed to a linear plasma device with an ion flux of 3×1021 D+ m−2 s−1 and an electron temperature of 13 eV. Samples were exposed at sample temperatures of about 420 and 770 K at incident ion energy of 30 eV (floating potential), 70 and 190 eV. Additionally, the effect of ion fluence was investigated. The coatings before and after plasma exposure were investigated by electron microscopy and glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GD-OES). Microstructure observation revealed a complex morphology with distinct sharp spikes formed under the plasma exposure at incident ion energies of 70 and 190 eV. The tungsten enrichment by a factor of 3 in the spikes was visualized by backscatter electron observation and confirmed by both energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and GD-OES. No visible erosion and, by that, tungsten enrichment was observed after the plasma exposure at an incident ion energy of 30 eV, as expected since it is below the threshold energy for sputtering of iron.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for Wendelstein 7-X stellarator limiter tile analysis

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a well-established elemental composition analysis method as well as one of the most promising candidates for in situ first wall diagnosis of fusion devices. In this work, limiter graphite tiles, which were exposed in the initial operational phase (OP1.1) of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator to He and H plasma, are analyzed ex situ by LIBS employing a picosecond pulsed laser for the first time and compared with post mortem analysis techniques. Depth profiles of each element and 2D profile of the ratio of H and C atoms on the surface are investigated. Both H content and retention depth on the deposition dominated zone are higher than on the erosion dominated zone due to the formation of C-H co-deposition layer. The results from LIBS are in agreement with those from the cross-sectional scanning electron microscopic image and electron dispersive x-ray spectroscopy.

Kinetics of carbide formation in the molybdenum-tungsten coatings used in the ITER-like Wall

The kinetics of tungsten carbide formation was investigated for tungsten coatings on carbon fibre composite with a molybdenum interlayer as they are used in the ITER-like Wall in JET. The coatings were produced by combined magnetron sputtering and ion implantation. The investigation was performed by preparing focused ion beam cross sections from samples after heat treatment in argon atmosphere. Baking of the samples was done at temperatures of 1100 °C, 1200 °C, and 1350 °C for hold times between 30 min and 20 h. It was found that the data can be well described by a diffusional random walk with a thermally activated diffusion process. The activation energy was determined to be (3.34 ± 0.11) eV. Predictions for the isothermal lifetime of this coating system were computed from this information.

Temperature-dependent in-situ LEIS measurement of W surface enrichment by 250 eV D sputtering of EUROFER

Tungsten surface enrichment of EUROFER steel by 250 eV deuterium sputtering is in-situ measured using low energy He

An electron microscopy three-dimensional characterization of titania nanotubes

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Development of yttrium-containing self-passivating tungsten alloys for future fusion power plants

ion scattering spectroscopy. The samples are irradiated at various temperatures between 300 K and 800 K with a deuterium atom flux of 2e18 m

The influence of annealing on yttrium oxide thin film deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering: Process and microstructure

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New oxidation-resistant tungsten alloys for use in the nuclear fusion reactors

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Smart alloys for a future fusion power plant: First studies under stationary plasma load and in accidental conditions

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