Current status: There have been carried out many studies on the possibility to use lithium CPS as a plasma facing material in fusion reactors. One of the first studies of lithium CPS were the experiments performed on plasma-physical installation with direct magnetic field SPRUT-4. This installation was used for a series of experiments to study the stability of lithium CPS under the influence of stationary thermal loads of up to 25 MW/m². The results of these experiments, as well as the results of studies obtained at other plasma-physical installations, in particular KSPU, MK-200UG and “Plasma Focus”, suggests that lithium CPS to be considered as one of the promising materials for intrachamber elements of fusion reactors. It shall be noted that the experiments fully demonstrated all of the major advantages of using lithium CPS as plasma facing material capable of withstanding heavy loads.

Successful completion of the project allows all in all to promote the technology, which is based on lithiuzation of fusion reactor chambers and contribute to development of new technological solutions while designing and manufacturing the new fusion facilities, which will result in development of the most prospective direction in power generation – fusion energy. The project is expected to develop a methodology for the out-of-pile and in-pile studies of lithium CPS to obtain experimental data on the parameters of the hydrogen isotopes (including tritium) interaction with lithium CPS samples under neutron irradiation and without it. The results of the work will allow to make conclusions on the prevailing mechanisms of tritium interaction with lithium CPS and the effects of neutron radiation on the processes of this interaction, as well as the recommendations will be given on the applicability of lithium in the fusion reactor installations. The project results will certainly be in demand in the global fusion community, operators of fusion installations, and research groups dealing with fusion reactor materials science issues.

The following activities will be implemented in the framework of the project:

- Development and manufacture of experimental ampoule devices with lithium CPS;

Technical Approach and Methodology: Lithium CPS samples will be prepared by pouring liquid lithium into metal porous matrix. In the framework of the project, the out-of-pile experiments with lithium CPS samples will be carried out at “VIKA” facility by using the absorption method, mass spectrometry and method of thermal desorption mass spectrometry. The methods include continuous registration of the main characteristic parameters of the interaction between gas and gas mixtures with a test sample (qualitative and quantitative composition of the gas phase in an experimental device) under different temperatures of the test sample (sample temperature are set individually for each series of experiments in accordance with the study program).