A team of researchers at the Univerisdad Carlos III de Madrid, University of Michigan and the Oxford University are carrying out joint studies to discover new materials for thermonuclear fusion reactors.
Scientists at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Oxford University and the University of Michigan have joined efforts to develop new materials for thermonuclear fusion reactors. Their research focuses on characterization of oxide dispersion-strengthened, reduced-activation steel for the reactor structure. The image shows disperse Y2O3nanoparticles in ODS/Fe12Cr steel. Credit: UC3M
According to the scientists, thermonuclear fusion could be the solution to the situation where great amounts of energy are used and released during the combination of two light element atomic nuclei. In order to allow the nuclei to come close together and be condensed in the plasma state, high amounts of energy is also required. The plasma formed in such a manner generates heat equivalent to that of stars and does not touch the reactor walls since it would melt. The walls should have the capacity to withstand high temperatures arising due to the irradiation of neutrons. For this purpose, the wall needs to be built with a new material.
One of the potential materials for this use is a ferrite steel called the ODS steel which is strengthened for dispersion and contains reduced activation. Till recently, the microstructure of this material has been studied under micrometric scale. Now it is important to study the material under nanometric scale in order to understand the phenomena occurring during irradiation.
The research is being funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and focuses on studying the presence of oxide particles which is present in this kind of steel and the extent of damage that occurs due to irradiation.