Comparison of hydrogen isotope retention for tungsten probes in LHD vacuum vessel during the experimental campaigns in 2011 and 2012

• Hydrogen isotope retention enhancement for W exposed to LHD 2011 and 2012 campaigns were evaluated.
• Large hydrogen retention enhancement was derived for all the samples compared to that for pure W.
• The carbon-dominated mixed-material layer would control the hydrogen isotope retention for all the area except for erosion-dominated area.
• The chemical structure for carbon-dominant mixed-material layer may govern the H and D retention enhancement for most area.

To evaluate hydrogen isotope retention enhancement in W by plasma exposure, the stress relieved tungsten samples were placed at three or four different positions, namely PI (sputtering erosion dominated area), DP (deposition dominated area), HL (Higher heat load area) and ER (erosion dominated area) during 2011 (15th) or 2012 (16th) plasma experiment campaign in Large Helical Device (LHD) at National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), Japan and were exposed to ∼6700 shots of hydrogen plasma in a 2011 plasma experiment campaign and ∼5000 shots in a 2012 plasma campaign. Thereafter, additional 1.0 keV deuterium ion implantation was performed to evaluate the change of hydrogen isotope retention capacity by plasma exposure. It was found that more than 50 times of hydrogen retention enhancement for DP sample was derived compared to that for pure W. In especially, the carbon-dominated mixed-material layer would control the hydrogen isotope retention for all the area except for erosion-dominated area, indicating that the chemical structure for carbon-dominant mixed-material layer would govern the H and D retention enhancement for most area by long-term plasma exposure. Therefore, the surface area for carbon material would be one of key issues for the determination of hydrogen isotope retention in first wall, even if all tungsten first walls will be used.