High Temperature Mechanical Properties of Pure and Alloyed Group 5 Metals in View of Their Application as Tritium Permeation Materials

Tensile and creep strength of pure V, Nb, Ta, and Nb-9W alloy were examined at 600 °C to assess their applicability as hydrogen permeation material for the recovery of tritium from the high temperature liquid breeder blanket of a fusion reactor. The Nb-9W alloy required a comparatively higher annealing temperature to achieve good ductility. Based on tensile strength results, it is estimated that a permeation wall thickness of 0.1 mm is achievable. According to creep rate of Nb-9W alloy, design stress maybe decreased below 1/3 of yield stress.