(Fusion materials R D programs of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor)

The objective of this travel was to advance provisional planning of an activity to coordinate research and development (R D) activities on fusion materials among the existing fusion materials R D programs of the ITER parties. This objective was accomplished in discussions with the Executive Committee for the IEA Implementing Agreement on Fusion Materials in Karlsruhe, Germany, and with the ITER management and staff of Garching, Germany. The IEA Executive Committee deferred substantive consideration of the topic at the insistence of the Ex-Officio member from European Community (EC), Brussels. Discussions with ITER management and staff were positive. It was noted the the draft ITER Long-Term Technology Research and Development Plan contains recommendations for major program effort in materials R D and includes recommendations for coordination among the existing programs of the parties to meet those materials R D needs. ITER management discussions were in the context that decisions on specific activities for the ITER engineering design activity (EDA) must await formal action by the parties on the ITER EDA

Copper and copper alloys for fusion reactor applications: summary report of a DOE-OFE workshop

The Office of Fusion Energy of the US Department of Energy convened a workshop in April 1983 to review the needs for copper and copper alloys in fusion device applications. The adequacy of the data base on these materials was examined, and recommendations were developed for experimental programs needed to fill identified data gaps. The workshop results are available in a conference proceedings

Lithium ceramics as the solid breeder material in fusion reactors

Fusion blanket designs have for almost a decade considered the use of a solid breeder relying on available data and assumed performance. The conclusion from these studies is that acceptable neutronic and thermal hydraulic performance can be achieved. In the future, it will be necessary to establish that a particular material can tolerate the thermal and irradiation environment of the fusion blanket while still providing the required functions of tritium recovery, power production and neutron shielding

Formation of pyrene metabolites by the terrestrial isopod porcellio scaber.

The formation of pyrene metabolites by the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber (Latr.) was studied following exposure for 13 days to 100 μg/g pyrene in its food. An alkaline hydrolysis method with subsequent liquid-liquid extraction was developed to determine the metabolite content, especially 1-hydroxypyrene. Synchronous Fluorescence Spectroscopy (SFS) was explored as a fast screening method and HPLC was applied as a complementary method for confirmation of the SFS results. In Porcellio scaber the amount of 1-hydroxypyrene exceeded that of pyrene, which indicates that pyrene is being metabolized extensively. SFS and HPLC demonstrated that Porcellio scaber also forms a number of other fluorescent metabolites. These metabolites exhibit fluorescence at the same excitation wavelength as 1-hydroxypyrene, possibly indicating a similar fluorophore structure. Determination of 1-hydroxypyrene is considered as a first step towards an improved environmental risk assessment of PAH exposure, as pyrene is a predominant member of this class of environmental contaminants and 1-hydroxypyrene is its major metabolite