Deuterium retention in tungsten after heavy ion damage and hydrogen isotope exchange in PISCES

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

The effect of H isotope exchange and radiation damage on the retention of D in W was examined in the PISCES linear plasma device. W samples were treated with D plasma at low sample temperatures (473K), with a fluence of 1026ions/m2 and ion energies of 150eV. Each sample was then exposed to varying doses of H plasma with similar sample temperature and plasma conditions to fluences ranging from 0 to 1026ions/m2, to examine the effectiveness of isotope exchange as a means of tritium removal. The D(3He, p)4He nuclear reaction was used to measure D concentration profiles up to a depth of 7.7μm. Thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) was used to determine the D retained throughout the bulk of the sample. Isotope exchange allows for a unique study of atomic migration by separately examining the diffusion of implanted atoms from those bombarding the surface. D atoms are exchanged out of traps as a result of H plasma bombardment and diffuse until either falling into another trap or reaching the surface to recombine and escape. Radiation damage at levels of 0.01, 0.1, and 1 displacements per atom (dpa) was carried out before plasma exposure on some samples with 2MeV Cu ions as a surrogate for damage caused by fusion neutrons. The Cu ion damage was compared to damage induced by 6MeVW ions to see if there is an effect of Cu contamination on retention. We saw little difference in Cu versus W ion damage at low dpa, but at 1dpa, where Cu content reached 65appm, contamination seems to be significant. Retention measurements showed that ion damage has little effectiveness on isotope removal at these sample temperatures; however, there is evidence to suggest that the trapping mechanisms in W change as damage is increased.