Multiscale study of the porosity of carbon deposits collected in Tore Supra

Carbon deposits collected in Tore Supra, on the neutralisers and on the toroidal pump limiter, are analysed by adsorption isotherm measurements and electron microscopy. Both techniques are suitable to study the porosity in a multiscale range and allow the characterisation of the volume and the structure of the pore network. The neutraliser deposits show an oval shape structure and a high specific surface area. This area corresponds to microporosity, i.e. pores with a typical size lower than 2 nm, (∼11%), mesoporosity (∼5%) and macroporosity, i.e. pores with a typical size more than 50 nm. Surprisingly, transmission electron microscopy performed on thin foils cut from an oval reveals a regular network of parallel slit-shaped mesopores (size ∼ 10 nm) and macropores (size ∼ 100 nm), with a well-defined orientation with respect to the oval axis.