Critical Assessment 12: Prospects for reduced activation steel for fusion plant

The development of new, high performance reduced activation materials is increasingly recognised as one of the key enabling technologies required for the advancement of civil fusion power. Reduced activation steels are considered the leading materials for fusion reactor blanket structural materials. The manufacturing technologies and database for the current leading reduced activation steels have reached a state of maturity where basic design and implementation can be addressed. However, there remain concerns with these materials due to an incomplete irradiation database and because of their limited operational temperature window. The requirements of these steels along with various proposed methods to improve reduced activation steels are critically assessed, and some indications given on future paths for progress.