Impact of microstructure on the plasma performance of industrial and high-end tungsten grades

Tungsten and tungsten alloys are actually the primary choice as plasma facing materials for future fusion reactors. Thereby, the material's response to the different loading conditions occurring in a tokamak is strongly depending on the material properties and therefore the material's microstructure. This is on the one hand controlled via the manufacturing process and/or the material's composition and on the other hand by the operational conditions causing recrystallization and melting, and subsequently not only a modified microstructure but also locally a modified composition. The influence of the variation in microstructure is addressed and the pros and cons for using the respective materials and tungsten in general in a fusion environment with steady state and transient thermal loads are outlined. While roughening and the related cracking can hardly be avoided, melting will thwart all efforts to establish a high end microstructure with defined directional properties. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.