Diagram showing the layers of the first wall. [Credit: EUROfusion]
Reliable materials for the first wall are critical to making fusion commercially viable. Fusion reactors could provide a long-term, low-carbon energy source if their core components withstand operational stresses, remain stable, and allow for safe, timely maintenance without prolonged radioactive
Researchers from Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University, funded through ARPA-E’s CHADWICK program, are developing materials for the “first wall” in fusion reactors. This wall faces extreme temperatures, radiation, and magnetic environments and must efficiently transfer heat for electricity production. Two layers are required: a tungsten-based refractory material facing the plasma and a structural layer, likely vanadium-based, designed to hold cooling channels and withstand intense conditions.
Reliable materials for the first wall are critical to making fusion commercially viable. If their core components withstand operational stresses, remain stable, and allow for safe, timely maintenance without prolonged radioactive hazards, fusion reactors could provide a long-term, low-carbon energy source.
In related news, the MIT spinoff Commonwealth Fusion Systems is working to build its first power plant in Virginia, The New York Times reported.
“On the project I’m leading, we’re using tungsten as a major constituent,” said Ames Lab scientist Nicolas Argibay. “With the exception of some carbon forms like diamond, tungsten has the highest melting temperature, which is essential for handling extreme reactor conditions.”
By spring 2025, the team will produce both lab-scale and pilot-scale quantities of these materials and test their mechanical properties at temperatures up to 1500° C. Vanadium-based alloys will be atomized without ceramic molds and then formed into plates for testing. Ion irradiation simulates decades of radiation damage in hours, guiding improvements. The goal is to deliver stable, reliable, and manufacturable materials that bring commercial fusion power closer to feasibility.hazards.
In related news, the MIT spinoff Commonwealth Fusion Systems is working to build its first power plant in Virginia, The New York Times reported.
“On the project I’m leading, we’re using tungsten as a major constituent,” said Ames Lab scientist Nicolas Argibay. “With the exception of some carbon forms like diamond, tungsten has the highest melting temperature, which is essential for handling extreme reactor conditions.”
By spring 2025, the team will produce both lab-scale and pilot-scale quantities of these materials and test their mechanical properties at temperatures up to 1500° C. Vanadium-based alloys will be atomized without ceramic molds, then formed into plates for testing. Ion irradiation simulates decades of radiation damage in hours, guiding improvements. The goal is to deliver stable, reliable, and manufacturable materials that bring commercial fusion power closer to feasibility.
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