Smart first wall materials for intrinsic safety of a fusion power plant

The first wall armor of a DEMOnstration fusion power plant (DEMO) is planned to be built from tungsten. However, in case of loss-of-coolant accident with air ingress, the temperature of the first wall may exceed 1000 °C due to nuclear decay heat. At such temperatures, tungsten forms volatile radioactive oxides, which may be mobilized into the environment at a rate of 10–600 kg per hour.