Study of the wettability of fusion relevant steels by the sodium potassium eutectic alloy NaK-78

Abstract Several validation activities were dedicated to the High Flux Test Module (HFTM) of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany. The HFTM contains 24 capsules packed densely with Eurofer specimens to facilitate their irradiation in the high flux zone directly behind the IFMIF neutron source. The small gaps among the Eurofer specimens are filled by the sodium potassium eutectic alloy NaK-78 to improve the thermal conduction among the specimens and achieve uniform and predictable temperature distribution. As a result of first trials, the filling process of NaK-78 into the specimens’ capsule had been identified as an issue worth further investigations. Therefore, the wettability of the steels Eurofer and SS 316 by NaK-78 is experimentally investigated to evaluate the applicability of this concept and identify the favorable conditions. In the experiment, the capillary rise of NaK-78 in a two-parallel-plates channel (gap) is investigated versus the following: (i) temperature of both NaK-78 and the parallel plates from 50°C to 350°C, (ii) machining techniques used for the parallel plates, (iii) thickness of the gap between the plates, and (iv) material of the parallel plates including Eurofer and SS 316. The present experimental results will help in defining the working conditions required to achieve an optimal filling of the IFMIF HFTM capsules with NaK-78 and a complete wetting of the capsules’ specimens.