Britain is forging new radiation-resistant metal in a step ahead for fusion vitality startups

Scientists in the UK have forged 5.5 tonnes of a new type of steel that can withstand the searing heat and intense neutron radiation of nuclear fusion. the same reaction that powers the sun and stars. The breakthrough is a further boost for the growing number of people in Europe Fusion energy startups.

A working group at the UK Atomic Energy Agency (UKAEA) called NEURONE produced the reduced activation ferritic-martensitic steel, or “RAFM” for short. It is the first time that RAFM will be manufactured on an industrial scale in the UK.

“This is really positive and potentially relevant for all fusion energy projects,” Ryan Ramsey, COO of British startup First Light Fusion, told TNW.

Fusion reactors superheat hydrogen atoms to extremely high temperatures, forming a charged gas called plasma. By compressing the plasma using magnetic fields or lasers, they force the atoms to fuse, releasing large amounts of energy that can be used to generate electricity.

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During operation, the plasma inside a fusion energy machine reaches temperatures of 150 million °C – temporarily making them the hottest points in our solar system. Huge magnets levitate this plasma in the air, preventing direct contact with the metal walls. The walls are also cooled to prevent overheating. However, no ordinary steel is up to the task.

“The biggest problem is“It's not the heat, it's the neutron damage,” Ramsey said. Neutron radiation can quickly damage the internal walls of a nuclear reactor.

“If you fail to do that, you will periodically shut down the fusion reactor to replace the walls, meaning you will not be producing electricity during that period,” he explained.

The interior walls of fusion reactors, like the decommissioned JET tokamak machine pictured here, must withstand searing heat and intense radiation. Photo credit: EUROfusionInterior of JET with superimposed plasma – Credit EUROfusion

NEURONE's new steel can withstand high neutron loads and temperatures of up to 650°C, potentially improving the operational efficiency of future fusion power plants.

For start-ups like the Oxford University spin-out First Light, the development represents a further step towards the lunar goal of building a commercially viable fusion reactor.

NEURONE forged the steel using an electric arc furnace powered by electricity rather than coal and housed at the Materials Processing Institute (MPI) in Middlesbrough. The UKAEA said its new forging method could make producing RAFM up to ten times cheaper than was previously possible.

“The production of 5.5 tons of RAFM fusion steel lays the foundation for cost-effective production of these types of fusion steel for future commercial fusion programs,” he said David Bowden, who leads the NEURONE program.

Despite enormous advances, fusion energy has always seemed like a technology that is “still 20 years away.” But the tides could be changing. According to a survey at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) forum in London last year, 65% of industry insiders think so Fusion will produce electricity for the network at a reasonable cost by 2035 and 90% by 2040.

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