Status of beryllium study for fusion in RF

The main directions of research activities in the field of beryllium application science and technology carried out in Russia during 2001-2003 have been reviewed. The main results of these investigations have been highlighted. First wall and port-limier. The investigation on the actively cooled components with beryllium cladding is under progress objecting on the clarification of their ultimate thermo cycling capabilities. The study of behavior of bulk beryllium and the boundary region of the contact with the cooling structure under the intensive thermo cycling loading and neutron irradiation have been the object of consideration in particular. The works on the optimization and modification of industrial fabrication processes for commercial scaled production of beryllium tile were also under way. The influence of neutron irradiation. The new experimental data on the nuclear properties of several Russian beryllium grades has been obtained. The samples have been subjected to the high neutron dozes. The influence of low temperature (70-200degree C) neutron irradiation on the thermal conductivity has been examined in particular. The interrelations of the helium inventory and temperature of neutron irradiation with tritium release out of irradiated beryllium samples have been analyzed. The beryllium associated safety questions. The experiments on the modeling of normal working conditions and conditions imitating the plasma disruption events in ITER performance scenario have been continued. The new experimental information on the coefficient of pulverization of beryllium and the accumulation of deuterium in beryllium under the action of proton beam has been collected. The dependence of the reaction rate constant for the beryllium oxidation by the water vapor for different conditions has been analyzed. The compact, porous and powder beryllium samples have been tested at the wide range of temperature, pressure and duration of reaction with water vapor. The calculating codes have been proposed for determination of the rate of hydrogen generation. The theoretical investigation on the correlation of the plasma disruption with tritium inventory in beryllium components of the first wall of ITER reactor and on the penetration of tritium through first wall material into coolant agents has been performed. Tritium breeding blanket. The investigation on optimization of fabrication processes of porous beryllium with guaranteed predetermined open porosity in the range of 10-30% altogether with properties characterization has been carried out. (author)