Deuterium (D) interaction with vacancies in tungsten (W) was studied using thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). In order to obtain a TDS spectrum with a prominent peak corresponding to D release from vacancies, a special procedure comprising damaging of a recrystallized W sample by low fluences of 10 keV/D ions, its annealing, and subsequent lowenergy ion implantation, was utilized. This experimental sequence was performed several times in series; the only difference was the TDS heating rate that varied in the range of 0.15-4 K/s. The sum of the D binding energy (E b) with vacancies and the activation energy for D diffusion (E D

No abstract

Deuterium (D) retention and surface modifications of hot-rolled polycrystalline tungsten (W) exposed to a low-energy (40 eV/D), high-flux (2-5×10 23 D/m 2 s) D plasma at temperatures of 380 K and 1140 K to fluences up to 1.2×10 28 D/m 2 have been examined by using nuclear reaction analysis, thermal desorption spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The samples exposed at 380 K exhibited various types of surface modifications: dome-shaped blister-like structures, stepped flat-topped protrusions, and various types of nanostructures. It was observed that a large fraction of the surface was covered with blisters and protrusions, but their average size and the number density showed almost no fluence dependence. The D depth distributions and total D inventories also barely changed with increasing fluence at 380 K. A substantial amount of D was retained in the subsurface region, which thickness correlated with the depth where the cavities of blisters and protrusions were located. It is therefore suggested that defects appearing during creation of blisters and protrusions govern the D trapping in the investigated fluence range. In addition, a large number of small cracks was observed on the exposed surfaces, which can serve as fast D release channels towards the surface, resulting in a reduction of the effective D influx into the W bulk. On the samples exposed at 1140 K no blisters and protrusions were found.However, wave-like and faceted terrace-like structures were formed instead. The concentrations of trapped D were very low (<10 5 at. fr.) after the exposure at 1140 K.

No abstract

Thermal desorption spectra (TDSP) reported in the literature and resulting from thermal desorption experiments performed on tungsten samples exposed to deuterium at several fluences are analyzed using a reaction-diffusion model including up to ten different types of traps. The use of a large number of types of traps allows accurate fits of TDSP at all fluences using a unique broad spectrum of detrapping energy. Detrapping energies found in this work are in good agreement with detrapping energies predicted by density functional theory when several hydrogen atoms are trapped in a single tungsten vacancy. The comparison between the distribution of deuterium concentrations in material and distribution of trapped deuterium concentrations in TDSP suggests that traps characterized by a broad spectrum of detrapping energy, which may correspond to tungsten vacancies, are predominantly located near the material surface (≲10 nm).

Samples made of tungsten doped either with titanium carbide (W-1.1TiC) or tantalum carbide (W-3.3TaC) were either exposed to D 2 gas at a pressure of 100 kPa at 800963 K or irradiated by 38 eV/D ions at 800 K. The deuterium (D) inventory in the samples was examined by nuclear reaction analysis and thermal desorption spectroscopy. The D bulk concentration and total retention in W-3.3TaC were comparable in all cases to that in pure polycrystalline W. The D bulk concentration in W-1.1TiC was more than one order of magnitude higher than that in pure W after exposure to D 2 gas, and was also several times higher than that in W-1.1TiC after irradiation at 800 K. It is suggested that D trapping inside the carbide precipitates in W-1.1TiC becomes essential at high temperatures.

The influence of defects induced by plastic deformation of tungsten (W) on deuterium (D) retention has been studied. Recrystallized W samples were subjected to tensile deformations at temperatures of 573 K and 873 K to strains in the range of 3-38 %. The dislocation density measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) increased by about 40 times after deformation to the highest strain. The introduced defects were decorated with D by exposure to a low-flux D plasma at sample temperatures of 370 K and 450 K. D retention in the samples was studied using nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). The trapped D concentrations after the plasma exposures were low (up to a few times 10 −4 at. fr.) and increased more slowly with strain than the dislocation density. Small vacancy-like defects and large vacancy clusters were detected in the samples by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). Their concentrations also increased with strain more weakly than the dislocation density. It was concluded that these defects governed the D retention under plasma exposure at 450 K, while dislocations gave only a small contribution. It was also found that deformation already to the lowest strains significantly facilitates the formation of blister-like structures under D plasma exposure at 370 K. The defects associated with blister-like structures presumably gave a substantial contribution to D retention at 370 K.

No abstract