Nano Tungsten for Divertor Plates

Tungsten is a primary candidate material for the plasma facing materials in the plasma diverters of magnetic fusion devices. This project will develop a tungsten plate with extremely fine grain size, so as to produce a diverter structure with improved mechanical durability (e.g., crack resistance). The approach involves the processing of nano-tungsten powder through microwave synthesis. This powder will be rapidly sintered into testable, bulk material. This material will be evaluated for long-term use in a high energy nuclear plasma, through such tests as plasma erosion and heat flux measurement. Phase I will produce testable, nano-tungsten plates, along with experimental data from exposing the plates to a high plasma environment. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: Fusion reactors that use a tungsten diverter or other plasma-facing component should benefit from the nano-tungsten material. In addition, the material could be used to make armor-piercing bullets for police use. Other applications include cutting tools and wear surfaces.