Sintering Method of Pure Boron Pellet for Advanced Fusion Reactor

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).