Experience and technical issues of liquid lithium application as plasma facing material in tokamaks

The following critical issues of liquid lithium used in tokamak conditions are considered: major physical properties of lithium, physico-chemical aspects of lithium interaction and compatibility with structural materials of fusion reactors. Lithium capillary-porous system (CPS) is considered as advanced plasma facing material for power fusion reactor and its main properties are presented. Review of plasma facing element (PFE) structures based on lithium CPS and tests results in T-11M, T-10 and FTU tokamaks are included. Brief review of projects of lithium limiter of FTU with active system for thermal stabilization and module of lithium divertor for KTM tokamak with liquid metal (Na–K) cooling system based on the lithium CPS use are presented.