Innovative materials for energy technology

High performance materials are indispensable for economical and environmentally acceptable operation of fusion power and innovative fission reactor systems. In order to provide materials design data for short term needs of the ITER Test Blanket Modules and for a Fusion Demonstration Reactor, the international fusion materials community is concentrating their R&D work mainly on the four reduced-activation structural materials 8 – 9 CrWTa ferritic/martensitic steels, V – Ti – Cr alloys, W alloys and SiC /SiC composites as well as on functional materials such as CVD diamond windows. Besides the development of the European reduced activation reference steel EUROFER, emphasis will be placed on synergies between fusion and fission materials R&D, namely the development of ductile oxide dispersion strengthened ferritic/martensitic steels with nano-scaled Y or Y Ti particles that increase not only high temperature strength but also substantially the microstructural stability against irradiation embrittlement and high temperature ageing. Finally, the corrosion behaviour of zirconium-1.5 wt.% tin alloy, a well established cladding material for nuclear fuel rods, will be shown in different environments.