| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Meeting Materials Challenges for the Future of Fusion Energy
|
| Presentation Title |
Micromechanical Investigation of WC for Shielding Applications in Compact Fusion Devices |
| Author(s) |
Max Chester Jude Emmanuel, Max Rigby-Bell, James Wade-Zhu |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Max Chester Jude Emmanuel |
| Abstract Scope |
Spherical tokamaks offer significant advantages in magnetic confinement, making it easier to achieve fusion by enabling higher plasma pressures. However, the compact nature of these devices means there is limited space for shielding to protect the central column from intense neutron and gamma radiation. Thus, new, high-efficiency neutron absorbing materials are required for these applications.
Cemented tungsten carbide (WC) has a high neutron attenuation across broad energy spectrum and is a good candidate for shielding in fusion. However, studies examining the effect of irradiation damage on the material properties of WC is limited. In this work, we have conducted self-ion irradiations on WC-FeCr to doses of 0.13, 1.3 and 13 dpa across an elevated temperature range. Ambient and elevated temperature nanoindentation have been used to measure hardness and modulus alongside single cantilever bending tests to measure fracture toughness. These properties are compared to understand irradiation-induced changes in performance. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Mechanical Properties, Composites |