The European effort towards the development of a demo structural material: Irradiation behaviour of the European reference RAFM steel EUROFER

Worldwide programs aimed at developing materials for future fusion plants are presently concentrating on reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steels. In Europe, a Fusion Long Term Programme is being carried out under the coordination of European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA) Close Support Unit (Garching, Germany); in the framework of this programme, extensive research is currently in progress for the development and full qualification of the European reference 9Cr RAFM steel, designated EUROFER. This paper focuses on the work being performed within the EFDA Technology Workprogram TTMS-001 task “Irradiation Performance of EUROFER”, aimed at defining the post-irradiation mechanical and microstructural characteristics of the material, through irradiations, post-irradiation examinations (PIEs) and theoretical studies. An overview of the progress made will be given, as well as an anticipation of future research activities.