Graphite–tungsten twin limiters in studies of material mixing processes on high heat flux components

Graphite-tungsten twin limiters have been used at the TEXTOR tokamak for testing of high-Z metals as plasma facing materials and, in particular, for studies of the local and global transport of tungsten. The emphasis was on the change in surface morphology of limiters: the formation and properties of multicomponent co-deposits and the trapping characteristics of fuel on carbon and high-Z substrates exposed to the plasma under various operation conditions, i.e., heating scenarios, configuration of limiters, etc. Vast quantities of tungsten have been found to be locally transported to the adjacent graphite surfaces. Ion beam analysis also indicated strong intermixing of carbon, tungsten and boron on the hottest parts of the limiters. The results are discussed in terms of various mechanisms involving the transport of tungsten-containing species, possibilities of oxide production and formation of mixed (W-C-B) compounds.