ADVANCED LOW-ACTIVATION MATERIALS - FIBER-REINFORCED CERAMIC COMPOSITES

A serious safety and environmental concern for thermonuclear fusion reactor development regards the induced radioactivity of the first wall and structural components. The use of low-activation materials (LAM) in a demonstration reactor would reduce considerably its potential risk and facilitate its maintenance. Moreover, decommissioning and waste management including disposal or even recycling of structural materials would be simplified. Ceramic fibre-reinforced SiC materials offer highly appreciable low activation characteristics in combination with good thermomechanical properties. This class of materials is now under experimental investigation for structural application in future fusion reactors. An overview on the recent results is given, covering coolant leak rates, thermophysical properties, compatibility with tritium breeder materials, irradiation effects, and LAM-consistent purity. SiC/SiC materials present characteristics likely to be optimised in order to meet the fusion application challenge. The scope is to put into practice the enormous potential of inherent safety with fusion energy.