| Abstract Scope |
High-Entropy Alloys (HEAs) have emerged as a transformative materials class for fusion reactor plasma-facing components (PFCs), offering exceptional resistance to extreme heat fluxes, irradiation damage, helium blistering, and tritium retention. Fusion systems such as ITER, DEMO, ARC, and SPARC impose severe thermo-mechanical and plasma–material interaction (PMI) conditions, including 10–30 MW/m² steady-state heat loads, 100–200 MJ/m²·s disruption pulses, intense helium implantation, and neutron fluxes above 10¹⁵ n/cm²·s. Conventional PFC materials—tungsten, W-Re alloys, and ceramics—suffer from cracking, high sputtering rates, embrittlement, and unsafe hydrogen isotope retention.
HEAs, through multi-principal-element chemistry, severe lattice distortion, sluggish diffusion, and strong radiation tolerance, provide superior microstructural stability, reduced helium bubble formation, lower sputtering yields, and significantly decreased hydrogen isotope uptake. This work evaluates HEA thermodynamics, microstructural evolution, plasma erosion, irradiation tolerance, and thermal shock behaviour, demonstrating their strong potential for long-duration, high-power fusion reactor operation. |