Research Status of Preparation Technology and Thermal Loading Behavior of W-Re Alloys

Tungsten, with excellent properties, has become one of the candidate materials for plasma facing materials in nuclear fusion reactor. During the operation of nuclear fusion reactor, tungsten will be exposed to high thermal load irradiation, high hydrogen/helium plasma irradiation and high energy neutron irradiation. Among them, the transmutation element Re generates by neutron irradiation of tungsten, which will continue to produce and accumulate in tungsten to form the transmutation product tungsten-rhenium alloys. Therefore, the thermodynamic parameters and thermal loading resistance of tungsten plasma facing materials have changed, which will affect the service properties of plasma facing materials, and even be related to the stable operation of the reactor. At present, the generation of fusion high-energy neutrons under laboratory conditions is limited. Therefore, the research on the transmutation product tungsten-rhenium alloys mainly bases on the tungsten-rhenium alloys prepared in the laboratory. In this paper, the major preparation technology and thermal loading behavior of tungsten-rhenium alloys at present were summarized, and the existing scientific problems in the thermal loading behavior of tungsten-rhenium alloys were analyzed, which provided reference for the application of tungsten as plasma facing materials in future nuclear fusion reactor.