Current status and future R&D for reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic steels

International research and development programs on reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic steels, the primary candidate-alloys for a DEMO fusion reactor and beyond, are briefly summarized, along with some information on conventional steels. An International Energy Agency (IEA) collaborative test program to determine the feasibility of reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic steels for fusion is in progress and will be completed within this century. Baseline properties including typical irradiation behavior for Fe–(7–9)%Cr reduced-activation ferritic steels are shown. Most of the data are for a heat of modified F82H steel, purchased for the IEA program. Experimental plans to explore possible problems and solutions for fusion devices using ferromagnetic materials are introduced. The preliminary results show that it should be possible to use a ferromagnetic vacuum vessel in tokamak devices.