Overview of Indian activities on fusion reactor materials

This paper on overview of Indian activities on fusion reactor materials describes in brief the efforts India has made to develop materials for the first wall of a tokamak, its blanket and superconducting magnet coils.

Through a systematic and scientific approach, India has developed and commercially produced reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steel that is comparable to Eurofer 97. Powder of low activation ferritic/martensitic oxide dispersion strengthened steel with characteristics desired for its application in the first wall of a tokamak has been produced on the laboratory scale. V–4Cr–4Ti alloy was also prepared in the laboratory, and kinetics of hydrogen absorption in this was investigated. Cu–1 wt%Cr–0.1 wt%Zr – an alloy meant for use as heat transfer elements for hypervapotrons and heat sink for the first wall – was developed and characterized in detail for its aging behavior. The role of addition of a small quantity of Zr in its improved fatigue performance was delineated, and its diffusion bonding with both W and stainless steel was achieved using Ni as an interlayer. The alloy was produced in large quantities and used for manufacturing both the heat transfer elements and components for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).

India has proposed to install and test a lead–lithium cooled ceramic breeder test blanket module (LLCB-TBM) at ITER. To meet this objective, efforts have been made to produce and characterize Li₂TiO₃ pebbles, and also improve the thermal conductivity of packed beds of these pebbles. Liquid metal loops have been set up and corrosion behavior of RAFM steel in flowing Pb–Li eutectic has been studied in the presence as well as absence of magnetic fields. To prevent permeation of tritium and reduce the magneto-hydro-dynamic drag, processes have been developed for coating alumina on RAFM steel. Apart from these activities, different approaches being attempted to make the U-shaped first wall of the TBM box are briefly described.

India has also initiated the development of fusion grade superconductors. Success achieved in the fabrication of Nb₃Sn based multi-filamentary wires using the internal tin process and cable-in-conduit-conductors is also briefly presented.

This article was taken from Journal of Nuclear Materials 455 (2014) Pages 217 -224

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