Ponente
Descripción
Developing next-generation nuclear technologies, including fusion (ITER, DEMO) and Generation IV reactors, requires a precise understanding of material degradation under intense fast neutron fluxes. Degradations involve atomic displacement damage (dpa) and gas production (such as H or He) via transmutation, which trigger hardening, swelling, and embrittlement. Due to the limitations of fission reactor testing, such as long irradiation time, low damage levels and sample activation, ion beam emulation has become an essential tool for rapid material qualification.
The Dual Beam Ion Irradiation Facility for Fusion Materials (DiFU) at the Ruđer Bošković Institute (Zagreb, Croatia) is one of the few multiple-beam facilities, providing dual-beam irradiation capability to the global nuclear research community.
DiFU utilizes a 6 MV Tandem Van de Graaff and a 1 MV Tandetron, equipped with SNICS and duoplasmatron sources to provide a wide range of ion species. It enables simultaneous heavy-ion and light-ion irradiation where parameters (including ion energy, dose, irradiation area, and temperature) are precisely adjusted to match specific reactor conditions. To facilitate post-irradiation analysis, the facility utilizes energy degraders to widen the ion range, creating a broader and more homogeneous irradiation volume. Furthermore, the system can achieve controlled dose and temperature gradients across a single sample, allowing for multiple data points of material response per single irradiation.
DiFU is highly adjustable for various purposes, including the study of fusion fuel blankets, plasma-facing components, and Gen IV structural materials. Operating at temperatures up to 1000 °C under high vacuum ($10^{-8}$ mbar), the facility provides an accelerated, non-activating method to study the synergy between displacement damage and transmutation products. By offering high-throughput capabilities and precise control over the irradiation environment, DiFU serves as a critical asset for the development of resilient materials for the future nuclear fuel cycle.