Eni is strongly committed to the reduction of CO2 emissions. Several projects and initiatives are ongoing to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Among these, one of the most challenging is the realization of a new concept Fusion Pilot Plant (FPP) proposed by MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). The development of a viable FPP presents several critical challenges, including the detrimental effect that high energy neutrons can have on materials. To this date, there are no facilities able to generate neutrons to reproduce fusion radiation damage in an accelerated manner, so different irradiation sources have to be considered to simulate expected damage. Methods that consider these alternative irradiation sources are either very time consuming or cannot give a complete mechanical characterization.
In this paper a process that joins two different methods for assessment of materials resistance to irradiation is proposed to reduce experimental time and have accurate results. The application of the two methods will allow to analyse a large number of materials in a short time avoiding "a priori" material exclusion and giving the possibility to collect mechanical properties such as YS, UTS and strain to failure.
Fusion power plants will require the development, down selection, and qualification of materials that can stand extreme environments conditions while maintaining design and operational requirements during the operational life. Materials surrounding the core of a fusion power plant are expected to receive total neutron fluxes of 1014 to 1015 cm-2s-1, equivalent to roughly 15 displacements per atom (dpa) per operation year [1]. These high levels of neutron exposure can induce property changes such as hardening, embrittlement, and decreases in thermal conductivity, which must be handled to consider fusion energy as a possible solution to global climate change and other energy production issues. To select and qualify materials suitable for harsh radiation environments of fusion, new experimental techniques are needed to obtain representative information on irradiated material in accelerated timelines.
