Metallic glasses — Versatile radiation-tolerant materials for nuclear fusion applications

Abstract

Nuclear fusion (NF) imposes unprecedented requirements on materials involved. Metallic glasses (MGs) offer an impressive set of properties that hold promise to overcome related challenges. These properties range from high corrosion resistance over high mechanical strength to high radiation tolerance including possible self-healing of irradiation-induced structural changes. Their high compositional flexibility allows MGs to be designed for optimal use in various areas of NF devices. Here we provide an introduction as to how these unique properties and related manufacturing processes can be exploited for a multitude of applications in NF. An outline of a development roadmap to expedite efforts in this direction is given.