A team of researchers from the Jožef Stefan Institute have won first prize at the Symposium for Fusion Technology in Dublin for the development of a novel material that has the potential to be deployed in a portion of fusion reactors where temperatures are highest.

The tungsten carbide-reinforced material is ideal for applications in the divertor, a magnetic field configuration designed to divert impurities and helium ash to a target chamber, which can be used in the DEMO, the successor to the ITER experimental fusion reactor, said the European Commission, which presents the award in recognition of groundbreaking projects that advance fusion research.

The €50,000 prize is the result of a decade of research by a team that was led until her recent retirement by Saša Novak and is now headed by Petra Januš Belec. It includes researchers Aljaž Iveković, Anže Abram, Matej Kocen and Andreja Šestan Zavašnik, and several students, the Jožef Stefan Institute said.

"This prize is a huge recognition of the work of our research group and the Slovenian Fusion Association. In a sector where competition is fierce, our material has been recognised as holding exceptional innovation potential. This prize puts us on the international fusion map," Januš Belec said.

According to her, the lack of materials that can withstand extreme temperatures is one of the main obstacles to faster development of fusion energy.

"The fusion reactor is like a vessel and the highest temperature loads are at the bottom," she said. The current pick of material for this part of the vessel is wolfram, but in such extreme conditions some of its mechanical properties degrade.

The tungsten carbide-reinforced material developed by the Slovenian researchers improves on the properties of pure wolfram, making it more resistant to extreme temperatures.

"If subsequent tests demonstrate that this material is promising, it will represent another step towards the actual construction of the DEMO, and a step closer to the production of electricity with fusion," Januš Belec said.