Hydrogen Trapping Studies in Fusion First Wall Materials

Abstract

Hydrogen trapping in the first wall of fusion reactors is one of the most serious materials problems facing the designers of magnetic confinement devices. The release of this trapped hydrogen from the near surface region of the first wall during a tokamak discharge has been shown to play a major role in the hydrogen fueling of today's plasmas, while trapped hydrogen isotopes will directly influence the on-site tritium inventory and the structural properties of future D-T reactors. This paper summarizes the laboratory ion implantation sttidies on the hydrogen trapping characteristics of first wall materials. Emphasis is placed on the near term materials problems associated with austenitic stainless steels that are currently in use in magnetic confinement devices. Hydrogen trapping experiments involving more exotic first wall structural and coating materials are briefly reviewed.