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Journal article
Surface Erosion of Plasma-Facing Materials Using an Electrothermal Plasma Source and Ion Beam Micro-Trenches
Fusion science and technology, v 75(7), pp 621-635
03 Oct 2019
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Erosion characteristics of tungsten-alternative plasma-facing materials (PFMs) were tested under high heat flux conditions in the electrothermal plasma source facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The PFMs of interest are high-purity β-3C chemical vapor deposition silicon carbide (SiC) and the MAX phases Ti
3
SiC
2
and Ti
2
AlC [MAX = chemical formula M
n+1
AX
n
, where M is an early transition metal (such as Ti or Ta), A is an A-group element (such as Si or Al), and X is carbon or nitrogen]. An erosion analysis method was developed using a combination of focused ion beam microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, carving micro-trench geometries into polished sample surfaces. Samples of SiC, Ti
3
SiC
2
, and Ti
2
AlC were exposed to the electrothermal plasma source alongside tungsten and monocrystalline silicon. Samples were exposed to a Lexan polycarbonate (C
16
H
14
O
3
) electrothermal plasma stream in a He environment, at a specified impact angle, with infrared camera diagnostics. Edge localized mode-relevant heat fluxes of 0.9 to 1 GW/m
2
over 1-ms discharges were generated on the target surfaces. Tungsten samples exhibited pronounced melt-layer formation and deformation, with measured molten pits 2 to 10 μm in diameter and melt-layer depths of up to 7 μm deep. Surface erosion rates for Ti
3
SiC
2
and Ti
2
AlC ranged from 80 to 775 μm/s and 85 to 470 μm/s, respectively. Both MAX phases exhibited extreme surface fracture and material ejection, with damage depths past 4 μm for Ti
2
AlC and 11 μm for Ti
3
SiC
2
. SiC displayed the best performance, in one case surviving 15 consecutive electrothermal plasma exposures with an average erosion rate of about 29 μm/s and no surface fracturing. SiC erosion rates ranged from 23 to 128 μm/s.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Surface Erosion of Plasma-Facing Materials Using an Electrothermal Plasma Source and Ion Beam Micro-Trenches
- Creators
- J. D. Coburn - North Carolina State UniversityT. E. Gebhart - Oak Ridge National LaboratoryC. M. Parish - Oak Ridge National LaboratoryE. Unterberg - Oak Ridge National LaboratoryJ. Canik - Oak Ridge National LaboratoryM. W. Barsoum - Drexel UniversityM. Bourham - North Carolina State UniversityOak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Publication Details
- Fusion science and technology, v 75(7), pp 621-635
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000489314400007
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85067643748
- Other Identifier
- 991019167793404721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Nuclear Science & Technology