Status of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steel development

Recent research results obtained in Europe, Japan, China and the USA on reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steels are reviewed. The present status of different RAFM steel products (plate, powder HIPped steel, many types of fusion and diffusion welds, unirradiated and irradiated states) is sufficient to present a strong case for the use of the steels in ITER test blanket modules. For application in DEMO, more research is needed, including the use of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) in order to quantify the effects of large amounts of transmutation products, such as helium and hydrogen. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.