Capability demonstration of simultaneous proton beam irradiation during exposure to molten lead–bismuth eutectic for HT9 steel

We report the design and assembly of a corrosion station to enable simultaneous proton irradiation of a metallic surface that was also in contact with molten lead–bismuth eutectic (LBE). The capability has been established at the ion beam materials laboratory at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The engineering design focused on temperature and oxygen content control in the LBE, as well as the ability to achieve doses significantly in excess of 1 dpa in the contact region over the irradiation campaigns. In the preliminary demonstration of capability reported here, a sample made of HT9 steel was placed in contact with LBE at 450 °C and irradiated for 58 h at an average proton beam current of 0.3 μA/mm2. SRIM [1] calculations indicate that the nominal surface dose ranged from approximately 3–22 dpa. This paper outlines the experimental setup and design constraints. Characterization of the sample will be reported in a subsequent paper.