en.Wedoany.com Reported - Kyoto Fusioneering, based in Japan, has partnered with NGK Corporation, a manufacturer of industrial ceramics and metals, to develop and commercialize FLiBe molten salt for fusion power plants. FLiBe is a molten salt composed of lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride, used simultaneously for cooling, breeding tritium fuel, and shielding structures, operating at temperatures between 500°C and 700°C.

Bringing fusion energy to commercial reality requires addressing challenges such as extracting heat from plasma, breeding and recycling tritium fuel, and designing circulation systems that connect the entire power plant. As a liquid blanket material, FLiBe circulates through the inner walls of a fusion reactor to absorb energy, breed fuel, and shield structures, operating in a molten liquid state to avoid structural stress and thermal cracking risks associated with solid blankets. In a fusion reaction, 80% of the energy released from the reaction between deuterium and tritium appears as high-energy 14.1 MeV neutrons. As neutrons pass through the liquid FLiBe blanket, they collide with lithium and beryllium atoms, slowing down and converting kinetic energy into thermal energy. The heated molten salt is then pumped to a heat exchanger to drive turbines for electricity generation. FLiBe breeds its own tritium fuel through nuclear reactions where neutrons strike lithium atoms in the salt. A single fusion reaction consumes one tritium atom and releases one neutron. Since some neutrons are absorbed by structural walls or escape, a neutron multiplier is needed to ensure a tritium breeding ratio (TBR) greater than 1.0. Beryllium in FLiBe acts as this multiplier, releasing two neutrons when fast neutrons strike beryllium nuclei, effectively doubling the available neutron count. FLiBe does not easily boil or vaporize at high temperatures, preventing high-pressure buildup and reducing the risk of explosive pipe rupture. It also does not react violently with air or water, lowering fire risks in case of leakage. As a liquid, FLiBe avoids structural radiation damage such as swelling or embrittlement. However, FLiBe presents challenges: under neutron bombardment, fluorine atoms in the salt form highly corrosive hydrogen fluoride (HF), requiring a redox potential control system to mitigate; FLiBe solidifies at approximately 459°C, so the reactor system must maintain continuous high temperatures to prevent salt freezing and blocking circuits; beryllium is highly toxic if inhaled as dust, necessitating strict containment protocols during manufacturing and handling.

This collaboration combines NGK's expertise in beryllium handling, quality control, refining, and analysis accumulated since 1958, with Kyoto Fusioneering's expertise in fusion power plant engineering, including plasma heating systems, plant-wide system design, thermal-hydraulic analysis, and tritium breeding and recovery systems. The partners will advance FLiBe-related technologies for fusion power plant applications, focusing on commercialization and supply chain development, collaborating across material manufacturing and refining, practical equipment application, and circulation systems tailored to customer specifications. Kyoto Fusioneering will lead the engineering design (including engineering, procurement, and construction) of FLiBe production and refining facilities, which will be located within NGK's beryllium facility; NGK will contribute beryllium safety and handling expertise and be responsible for raw material procurement and facility operations. Kyoto Fusioneering will leverage its engagement with the fusion research community and understanding of fusion industry needs to guide the development of low-activation, low-corrosion FLiBe suitable for long-term fusion plant operation, and will evaluate the produced fusion-grade FLiBe using its dedicated Japanese Advanced FLiBe Research (FREJA) loop, a laboratory-scale test platform for verifying and certifying that manufactured FLiBe meets nuclear and structural standards.

Takeshi Otsu, Vice President and Head of NV Business Development at NGK, stated that under the "2026-2035 Long-Term Management Plan," NGK positions 2035 as the midpoint toward the "NGK Group Vision: Road to 2050," committed to research, development, and social implementation in the carbon neutrality field, and that this strategic collaboration is an important step in that direction. He added that by applying NGK's safety management and technical expertise in beryllium handling and FLiBe-related technologies, they are challenging themselves to create new technological value supporting the practical realization of fusion energy in the carbon neutrality field, and will continue advancing technology development to achieve social implementation of FLiBe-related technologies. Kiyoshi Seko, President and Chief Operating Officer of Kyoto Fusioneering, said the company is committed to establishing the foundational technologies needed to bring fusion energy into practical use as early as possible, noting that FLiBe is a key material with multiple functions including breeding, cooling, and tritium recovery, and that because it contains beryllium, safe handling requires advanced safety management and refining technologies. By combining NGK's beryllium handling expertise with Kyoto Fusioneering's system integration know-how, they aim to accelerate the industrial foundation of FLiBe-related technologies, taking a significant step toward the social implementation of fusion energy.