Low temperature irradiation experiments and material testing in Petten

JRC, Petten Establishment, and ECN combine the full range of facilities required for the investigation of irradiation damage of fusion reactor structural materials. The high flux reactor (HFR) Petten, owned by the Commission of the European Communities, is one of the few large materials test reactors still in operation in Western Europe. The HFR is particularly suited for research on materials for future thermonuclear fusion reactors. The ECN hot cell laboratory has dedicated facilities for post-irradiation mechanical testing (fracture mechanics, tensile, fatigue, impact testing, creep) of materials. In addition, thermophysical properties can be measured, the weldability of irradiated materials is investigated with laser and TIG welding equipment. For post-testing analysis, various techniques are used, including optical microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Materials being investigated for current fusion programmes include ITER-grade (IG) austenitic steel type 316LN-IG (plate, electron beam- and TIG-welds), vanadium alloys (e.g. V-4Cr-4Ti) and ferritic-martensitic steels (e.g. MANET, F82H, JLF; plate, welds). Experimental details on irradiation and post-irradiation testing are presented in the paper.