Non-metals as structural materials in the first wall of a thermonuclear reactor

Graphites and carbon fiber reinforced materials currently are tested and used as materials for protecting the first wall of existing or planned magnetic confinement experiments. Apart from the strongly exposed components such as limiters, divertors or deflecting plates, also other first-wall components now are increasingly protected or tested for protection by CFC materials. Due to their very good thermal shock resistance and the low atomic mass Z, graphites and CFC materials together with beryllium are quite superior over all other candidate materials. In addition, graphites and CFC materials have good resistance to thermal cycling. (orig./GG)