PNNL

Abstract

Low or reduced activation materials are currently being developed and evaluated as structural materials for fusion energy systems. The goal of developing low activation materials is to provide fusion energy systems with a competitive edge over fission energy systems where high level waste issues abound. The primary low activation materils being developed by the international fusion materials community are: (1) ferritic/martensitic steels, (2) vanadium alloys and (3) SiC/SiC composites. These three materials offer a range of temperature and coolant design options and would likely be the optimum choices even without a low activation criteria. However, there are a number of activation, safety, and disposal issues that must be solved to achieve an optimum blanket design.