Effect of high-temperature neutron irradiation on fracture toughness of ITER-specification tungsten

Abstract

The effect of neutron irradiation on the fracture toughness of two commercially pure tungsten materials processed according to ITER specifications has been investigated for three doses: 0.08 dpa, 0.44 dpa, and 0.67 dpa at 600 °C. The choice of this temperature was motivated by its technological importance due to the risk of irradiation-induced embrittlement. The temperature of 600 °C is below the void swelling peak temperature (∼800 °C) and, at the same time, well above the ductile to brittle transition temperature (DBTT) of the reference material (∼300 °C). Neutron irradiation was performed in the BR2 material test reactor inside the fuel channel in order to limit the transmutation of rhenium and osmium close to the rates expected in a fusion environment. The results of the mechanical tests performed up to 600 °C show that the fracture toughness decreases with the increase in the irradiation dose for both tungsten products. The fracture surfaces of the non- and irradiated specimens were systematically analysed to determine the evolution of the failure mechanisms.