Materials for plasma facing components of fusion reactors

AbstractAbstractAccording to current knowledge and understanding, nuclear fusion can be developed to a sustainable energy technology. Fuel is abundant and key points for fusion power production and alpha particle heating have already been demonstrated. The next step device, international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER), is designed to demonstrate net fusion power production and to address most of the technological issues on the way to a power reactor. There is, however, a series of materials problems related to the plasma facing components and to the structural materials which cannot be fully addressed by ITER. These developments are covered by long term development of radiation resistant low activation materials, heat sink materials, plasma facing protection materials as well as functional tritium barrier materials.A brief survey of the current status of materials development for plasma facing applications is given in the present paper. To provide materials which can sustain the severe loading conditions in a fusion environment is a key issue in developing fusion as an economic energy technology without long lived radioactive waste.Keywords: NUCLEAR FUSIONLOW ACTIVATION MATERIALSPLASMA FACING MATERIALSHIGH HEAT FLUX MATERIALSEXTREMAT INTEGRATED PROJECT