Behavior of liquid Li-Sn alloy as plasma facing material on ISTTOK

Abstract

The high power loads impinging on the first wall and particularly the divertor of fusion reactors is a decisive factor to the success of nuclear fusion. An alternative to solid plasma facing components is the use of liquid metals such as lithium or tin due to the regenerative properties of the liquid surface. Another suitable candidate is the eutectic lithium tin alloy (30at.% Li) which is suggested to display beneficial properties of both its constituent elements. The application of these materials as liquid metal plasma facing components depends on several factors such as their affinity to retain hydrogenic isotopes and the discharge performance degradation induced by the enhanced impurity contamination, among others. An experimental setup has been developed to produce and expose samples to ISTTOK plasmas on both liquid and solid states. Samples of Li-Sn alloy were exposed at ISTTOK to deuterium plasmas. Post-mortem analysis of the samples was performed by means of ion beam diagnostics. To quantify the fuel retention on the samples the nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) technique was applied. Complementary, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) was used for determination material composition, particularly of impurities, on the samples. Regardless of the high sensitivity of these techniques no deuterium was detected in the samples. Emission of the Li-I 670.7nm line indicates that there was interaction of the plasma with the samples. Alternative reasons for the low retention of this material are discussed. Lithium segregation to the surface of the sample was observed.