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Sintering Method of Pure Boron Pellet for Advanced Fusion Reactor

Hiroyuki NOTO^1,2), Sadatsugu TAKAYAMA¹⁾, Tomoko KAWATE³⁾, Yasuko KAWAMOTO^1,2), Motoshi GOTO^1,2), Masaki OSAKABE^1,2)

1)

National Institute for Fusion Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 322-6 Oroshi-cho, Toki, Gifu 509-5292, Japan

2)

The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Gifu 509-5292, Japan

3)

National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Naka 311-0193, Japan

(Received 27 August 2025 / Accepted 3 September 2025 / Published 1 October 2025)

Abstract

The proton-boron (B) fusion reaction, which has recently garnered increasing attention, requires pure boron-11 as fuel. In previous boron injection experiments in fusion reactors, small cylindrical capsules containing boron powder were used as pellets. However, this injection method posed several critical challenges, including contamination of capsule elements and low injection volume. To address these issues, our group developed capsule-free pure boron pellets, specifically for plasma experiments using boron. This paper presents the fabrication processes and mechanical properties of the pure boron pellets, which were successfully injected into the Large Helical Device (LHD).

Copyright (c) 2025 The Japan Society of Plasma Science and Nuclear Fusion Research

Keywords

p-B fusion, boron, sintering, pellet, injection

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.20.1205050

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