Characterization of dust particles generated in Thailand Tokamak-1

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dc.contributor.authorNilgumhang, Kewalee
dc.contributor.authorChokchaiworadilok, Sirat
dc.contributor.authorPoolyarat, Nopporn
dc.contributor.authorDangtip, Somsak
dc.contributor.authorLimsuwan, Pichet
dc.contributor.authorNiamlang, Sumonman
dc.contributor.authorPhunpueok, Akapong
dc.contributor.authorThongpool, Voranuch
dc.date.accessioned2026-08-06T10:56:37Z
dc.date.available2026-08-06T10:56:37Z
dc.date.issued2027-01-01
dc.description.abstractThailand Tokamak-1 (TT-1) is the first magnetic confinement fusion device in Thailand and the ASEAN region. During plasma operation, plasma–wall interactions (PWI) inevitably lead to erosion of the 316L stainless-steel vacuum vessel and the boronized first wall, resulting in dust generation and plasma contamination. This work investigates the morphology and elemental composition of dust particles collected from the TT-1 vacuum chamber after plasma campaigns. In this experiment, we carried out a total of 604 discharge operation shots over a period of three months, using 99.999% purity H<inf>2</inf> gas as the fuel gas and 99.999% purity He gas for Glow Discharge Cleaning (GDC). Dust was sampled from the inner surface of the vacuum vessel using carbon tape and analyzed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Four primary dust morphologies were identified: (i) smooth flake-like particles, (ii) grain-crack particles with surface cracking, (iii) granular particles with fine grains distributed across the surface, and (iv) cauliflower-like structures attributed to repeated thermal cycling. EDS analysis revealed that Fe, Cr, and Ni, originating from the 316L stainless-steel wall, are the dominant metallic constituents, together with light elements such as B, C, and O associated with the boronization layer and subsequent oxidation. The presence of B- and C-rich granular dust confirms successful deposition and erosion of the boron coating used for wall conditioning. These results demonstrate that dust generated in TT-1 is a mixture of wall and boronization-layer fragments, which poses potential theoretical risks of plasma impurity accumulation, enhanced radiative losses, and compromised plasma ignition and stability in future high-performance campaigns. The present characterization provides a basis for future studies on dust transport, retention, and mitigation strategies in TT-1 and similar medium-size tokamak devices.
dc.identifier.citationRadiation Physics and Chemistry, 250, 2027
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.radphyschem.2026.114272
dc.identifier.issn0969806X
dc.identifier.other2-s2.0-105045209352
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.kmitl.ac.th/handle/123456789/18381
dc.sourceRadiation Physics and Chemistry
dc.subjectDust particles
dc.subjectElemental composition
dc.subjectMorphology
dc.subjectThailand Tokamak-1
dc.titleCharacterization of dust particles generated in Thailand Tokamak-1
dc.typeArticle

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