Fusion Reactor Structural & Functional Materials: from Past to Future / Advanced Near-Net Shape HIP and AM of ODS alloys – Addressing Manufacturing Scalability & AGG Mitigation

Advanced structural and functional materials are needed to enable future fusion concepts ranging from governmental programmes to private initiatives. Currently, only few materials and manufacturing solutions hold promise to accelerate the fusion vision. Here, the overarching irradiation damage and applicability challenges with fusion structural steels will be discussed with a view towards potential path forward. Ongoing efforts at the University of Birmingham on Vanadium alloys R&D as potential blanket and heat sink materials will be discussed with its comparison made with RAFM/ODS steels, especially for liquid Li systems. Finally, some ongoing R&D on dissimilar metal joining, near-net shape manufacturing and their overarching irradiation damage scenarios will be discussed.