Deuterium retention in plasma spray tungsten coatings exposed to low-energy, high flux D plasma

Abstract

Two types of porous plasma spray tungsten coatings deposited onto stainless steel and graphite substrates were exposed to low-energy (76 eV D 2 + ), high-flux (10 22 D/m 2 s) D plasma to ion fluences of (3–4) × 10 26 D/m 2 at various temperatures. Deuterium retention in the W coatings was examined by thermal desorption spectroscopy and the D( 3He,p) 4He nuclear reaction, allowing determination of the D concentration at depths up to 7 μm. The relatively high D concentration (above 0.1 at.%) at depths of several micrometers observed after D plasma exposure at 340–560 K can be related to accumulation of D 2 molecules in pores, while at temperatures above 600 K deuterium is accumulated mainly in the form of D atoms chemisorbed on the inner pore surfaces. At exposure temperatures above 500 K, the D retention in the plasma spray W coating on graphite substrate increases significantly due to trapping of diffusing D atoms at carbon dangling bonds located at the edge of a graphite crystallite.