Technical
The Structural Materials Suite
The alloys that hold the machine together under load and neutrons.
- Span
- Magnet + blanket structure
Structural materials span cryogenic-tough magnet-case alloys and low-activation steels (RAFM, ODS) for the neutron-heavy breeder. Each is chosen for strength, toughness and — for the breeder — short-lived activation, and qualified against its service environment.
Material selection is inseparable from the neutron and safety cases.
Common questions
What is in the structural materials suite?
Low-activation ferritic-martensitic steels for the neutron-facing structure and high-strength cryogenic alloys for the magnets — chosen so activation is short-lived and strength holds cold.
Why low-activation steel specifically?
Because it decays to hands-on levels in decades rather than millennia, which is what keeps the neutron-rich breeder's waste bounded and manageable.