Investigations of chemical erosion of carbon materials in hydrogen and deuterium low pressure plasmas

Investigations on chemical erosion of pure and carbide-doped graphite materials were carried out in inductively coupled RF plasmas containing hydrogen, deuterium or a mixture of both in helium. For extrapolations of erosion yields to future fusion devices the relevant particle fluxes have to be known precisely. This was done by several diagnostic techniques. In particular the ion fluxes are determined by an energy mass analyzer. An isotope effect of the ion composition is measured resulting in an enhanced erosion of graphite in deuterium plasmas. Since in fusion plasmas a mixture of deuterium and tritium will interact with the surface, a mixture of hydrogen and deuterium on graphite was investigated as well. In order to reduce erosion yields doping of carbon is under discussion. Therefore, fluence dependent erosion yields of several W-, Ti-, V- and Zr-doped graphite materials are measured and compared with pure graphite.