<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> The influence of extreme heat loads, as produced by a multiple pulses of non-homogeneous fl ow of slow plasma (0.1-1 keV) and fast ions (100 keV), on double-forged tungsten (DFW) was investigated. For generation of deuterium plasma and fast deuterons, plasma-focus devices PF-12 and PF-1000 are used. Depending on devices and conditions, the power flux density of plasma varied in a range of 107-1010 W/cm2 with pulse duration of 50-100 ns. Power flux density of fast ions was 1010-1012 W/cm2 at the pulse duration of 10-50 ns. To achieve the combined effect of different kind of plasmas, the samples were later irradiated with hydrogen plasma (105 W/cm2, 0.25 ms) by a QSPA Kh-50 plasma generator. Surface modification was analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and microroughness measurements. For estimation of damages in the bulk of material, an electrical conductivity method was used. Investigations showed that irradiation of DFW with multiple plasma pulses generated a mesh of micro- and macrocracks due to high heat load. A comparison with single forged tungsten (W) and tungsten doped with 1% lanthanum-oxide (WL10) reveals the better crack-resistance of DFW. Also, sizes of cells formed between the cracks on the DFW’s surface were larger than in cases of W or WL10. Measurements of electrical conductivity indicated a layer of decreased conductivity, which reached up to 500 μm. It depended mainly on values of power flux density of fast ions, but not on the number of pulses. Thus, it may be concluded that bulk defects (weakening bonds between grains and crystals, dislocations, point-defects) were generated due to mechanical shock wave, which was generated by the fast ions flux. Damages and erosion of materials under different combined radiation conditions have also been discussed.</abstract>

The influence of extreme heat loads, as produced by a multiple pulses of non-homogeneous fl ow of slow plasma (0.1-1 keV) and fast ions (100 keV), on double-forged tungsten (DFW) was investigated. For generation of deuterium plasma and fast deuterons, plasma-focus devices PF-12 and PF-1000 are used. Depending on devices and conditions, the power flux density of plasma varied in a range of 107-1010 W/cm2 with pulse duration of 50-100 ns. Power flux density of fast ions was 1010-1012 W/cm2 at the pulse duration of 10-50 ns. To achieve the combined effect of different kind of plasmas, the samples were later irradiated with hydrogen plasma (105 W/cm2, 0.25 ms) by a QSPA Kh-50 plasma generator. Surface modification was analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and microroughness measurements. For estimation of damages in the bulk of material, an electrical conductivity method was used. Investigations showed that irradiation of DFW with multiple plasma pulses generated a mesh of micro- and macrocracks due to high heat load. A comparison with single forged tungsten (W) and tungsten doped with 1% lanthanum-oxide (WL10) reveals the better crack-resistance of DFW. Also, sizes of cells formed between the cracks on the DFW’s surface were larger than in cases of W or WL10. Measurements of electrical conductivity indicated a layer of decreased conductivity, which reached up to 500 μm. It depended mainly on values of power flux density of fast ions, but not on the number of pulses. Thus, it may be concluded that bulk defects (weakening bonds between grains and crystals, dislocations, point-defects) were generated due to mechanical shock wave, which was generated by the fast ions flux. Damages and erosion of materials under different combined radiation conditions have also been discussed.

The experimental and theoretical investigations of damage development and distribution in double-forged tungsten under plasma irradiation-initiated extreme heat loads

School of Natural Sciences and Health, Tallinn University, 10120 Tallinn, Estonia

Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion 23 Hery Str., 01-497 Warsaw, Poland

Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion 01-497 Warsaw, Poland and A. A. Baikov Institute of Metallurgy and Material Science RAS, Moscow 119991, Russia and A. Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, I-34151 Trieste, Italy

A. A. Baikov Institute of Metallurgy and Material Science RAS, Moscow 119991, Russia

Institute of Plasma Physics, NSC KIPT, 61108 Kharkov, Ukraine

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn 19086, Estonia

Nukleonika

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The influence of extreme heat loads, as produced by a multiple pulses of non-homogeneous fl ow of slow plasma (0.1-1 keV) and fast ions (100 keV), on...

The experimental and theoretical investigations of damage development and distribution in double-forged tungsten under plasma irradiation-initiated extreme heat loads

Published Online: Jun 15, 2016

Page range: 169 - 177

Received: Sep 25, 2015

Accepted: Dec 02, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nuka-2016-0029

© by Tõnu Laas

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.