About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
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| Symposium
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Interrelated Extremes in Materials Degradation for Fission and Fusion Environments
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| Presentation Title |
Developing Dispersion-Strengthened Tungsten to Withstand Coupled Extremes in Fusion Reactors |
| Author(s) |
Xing Wang, Chase Hargrove, Ashrakat Saefan, Alexandru Marin |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Xing Wang |
| Abstract Scope |
Plasma-facing materials (PFMs) in future DEMO fusion reactors must endure extreme conditions, including high displacement damage (>10 dpa/year), intense plasma exposure, and severe thermal loads (~20 MW/mē). Dispersion-strengthened tungsten (DSW) has emerged as a promising PFM candidate. Studies showed that the micro- and nano-scale dispersion particles help remove oxygen impurities and stabilize grain boundaries, leading to improved mechanical properties. This work highlights our recent investigations into DSW’s performance under displacement damage, helium plasma, high heat flux, and combined environments. DSW generally shows improved resistance to helium bubble formation and heat-induced surface degradation, though its performance strongly depends on alloy composition and microstructure. For example, helium bubbles are often suppressed at W–dispersoid interfaces but may be enhanced at chemically mixed boundaries. Among carbide dispersoids, TiC outperforms others like TaC in resisting surface damage. Optimizing DSW requires further understanding of how microstructural features respond to these coupled extreme conditions. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Environmental Effects, Nuclear Materials, Characterization |