POSTIRRADIATION STRENGTH OF CARBON CANDIDATE CONSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR FUSION-REACTORS

Several brands of constructional carbon materials (CCM) being widely used in modern tokamaks and being investigated as candidate materials for fusion reactors are considered in this report. Structural and physical properties of CCM, possibilities of their use and methods of modifications are discussed. Radiation-induced changes in CCM structures and properties after neutron irradiation at temperatures T = 340-1500 K and fluences up to 2 x 10(22) cm-2 (neutron energy > 0.18 MeV) are presented. It is suggested that in the temperature interval from 1900 to 2300 K CCM properties are stable under irradiation. It is concluded that detailed investigations of radiation-induced changes of CCM structures and properties are necessary for the prediction of postirradiation changes in operational characteristics of CCM.