Radiation effects in materials for fusion reactors

Abstract

The 14-MeV neutrons produced in a fusion reactor result in different irradiation damage than the equivalent fluence in a fast breeder reactor, not only because of the higher defect generation rate, but because of the production of significant concentrations of helium and hydrogen. Although no fusion test reactor exists, the effects of combined displacement damage plus helium can be studied in mixed-spectrum fission reactors for alloys containing nickel (e.g., austenitic stainless steels). The presence of helium appears to modify vacancy and interstitial recombination such that microstructural development in alloys differs between the fusion and fission reactor environments. Since mechanical properties of alloys are related to the microstructure, the simultaneous production of helium and displacement damage impacts upon key design properties such as tensile, fatigue, creep, and crack growth. Through an understanding of the basic phenomena occurring during irradiation and the relationships between microstructure and properties, alloys can be tailored to minimize radiation-induced swelling and improve mechanical properties in fusion reactor service.