Development of high-Z materials with improved toughness for high heat flux components applications

Tungsten is superior to other materials in physical and mechanical properties for use as high heat flux components in future fusion reactors. The key issue of the metal is to improve the low temperature embrittlement, the recrystallization embrittlement and the irradiation embrittlement. An alloy design and microstructure control for achieving simultaneous and significant improvements in those embrittlements are described and are applied to tungsten and molybdenum which has quite similar properties as tungsten. The result of the application is presented for each of the embrittlement, with considerable success. Emphasis is placed on the occurrence of RIDU (Radiation Induced Ductilization) because RIDU is expected to provide the scenario to overcome severe irradiation embrittlement that is the most crucial problem for structure materials exposed in fusion environment. (author)