Overview on materials R&D activities in Japan towards ITER construction and operation

Takatsu, Hideyuki; Sato, Kazuyoshi; Hamada, Kazuya; Nakahira, Masataka; Suzuki, Satoshi; Nakajima, Hideo; Kuroda, Toshimasa*; Nishitani, Takeo; Shikama, Tatsuo*; Shu, Wataru

This paper presents an overview on ITER-supporting materials research and development activities and major achievements in Japan during the period from the Co-ordinated Technical Activities to date. In view of the completed engineering design of ITER during the Engineering Design Activities period, research and development efforts since then have been focused: those for reduction of component fabrication cost; those in support of domestic preparations of a structural technical code for construction; those necessary for operation, and been extended to component-level testing rather than pure material testing. They cover materials Research and Development for in-vessel components, vacuum vessel, cryogenic steels of superconducting mgnet and diagnostics components. Major achievements in each research and development area are highlighted and their impact or implication to the design, construction and operation of ITER is presented.