The "Nuclear Fusion Power and Other Plasma Engineering Materials and Hardware Opportunities: Markets 2026-2046" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The high expectations for fusion power will be met if the materials challenges are overcome. It is time for an unbiased report on fusion power materials with PhD level analysis of the good, the bad and the possible in this large new market for advanced materials.

The report has 6 SWOT appraisals, 7 chapters and covers 61 companies with 103 infograms, tables and graphs pulling it all together. Because the subject is now progressing rapidly, analysis of a large amount of research advances through 2025 is a major feature throughout.

Dealing with troublesome materials

Primary author Dr Peter Harrop advises, "The largest opportunity is for grid electricity followed by AI data centers but launch dates promised by those raising money should be treated with caution. Of the materials being trialled in fusion reactors, there are far too many that are extremely expensive, scarce, toxic or toxigen intermediaries. Resulting massive decommissioning costs are a concern.

For viability and wider use, a priority is making fusion reactor-generators simpler and smaller because this can mean less to go wrong, longer life, lower cost, more applications. Can we avoid fusion being another way of boiling water for power and instead produce electricity directly? Can materials be more multipurpose and much more efficient in their desired functions? What about reactor designs that are inherently simpler and smaller, and the same for subsystems such as THz gyrotrons, highest-power excimer lasers, magnets using high temperature superconductors and more? We closely look at all these aspects and the spin-off industries providing earlier paybacks for your advanced materials."

Report structure

The insightful "Executive Summary and Conclusions" spans 40 pages, outlining the fusion value chain and material opportunities in plasma and membrane materials, backed by 3 SWOT appraisals and 22 key conclusions. It presents forecasts extending from 2026-2046.

Chapter 2 sets the context, comparing fusion to renewable energy sources and the reimagined hydrogen economy. It explains why fusion hydrogen may surpass traditional hydrogen fuels. The chapter introduces fusion materials challenges as potential opportunities, while examining hydrogen isotope utilizations, and resolving beryllium and lithium-6 supply challenges. Moreover, it discusses fusion technologies in comparison with fission systems and the Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) toolkit's partnership potential. The chapter also speculates on timelines for fusion grid electricity deployment.

Chapter 3 offers a deep dive into the fusion basics and materials opportunities. Spanning 85 pages, it reviews candidate fuels, reactor designs, and sourcing for deuterium and tritium, incorporating research advances forecasted for 2025. Noteworthy insights address deuterium, tritium, and alpha particle research, along with changes in reactor technology trends and emerging material innovations like specialized alloys for resisting hydrogen embrittlement and tritium-deuterium membranes.

Chapter 4 expands on magnetic confinement fusion power and its materials and hardware opportunities over 28 pages. It details plasma-adjacent materials, molten salt containment, and developments in fusion reactors, notably the ITER project. Stellarators, a progressively attractive technology, receive extensive coverage.

Chapter 5 examines inertial confinement and magneto-inertial fusion technologies, discussing neodymium glass, ultraviolet, and quantum lasers. Within these 28 pages the focus is on advances anticipated between 2025 and 2030, exploring NIF and HUB project targets, and the advances at LLNL's National Ignition Facility.

Chapter 6 articulates evolving investment trends and identifies companies at the forefront of magnetic confinement tokamak investments over 11 pages, while Chapter 7 unveils other fusion technologies beyond power generation. These include deep drilling, spacecraft propulsion, neutron sources, and medical isotope production. "Nuclear Fusion Power and Other Plasma Engineering Materials Opportunities: Markets, Technology 2026-2046" stands as a critical resource in exploring material opportunities within this rapidly advancing sector.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive summary and conclusions

1.1 Purpose of this report

1.2 Methodology of this analysis

1.3 Seven general conclusions

1.4 Eleven conclusions concerning materials and hardware

1.5 23 key fusion reactor materials opportunities from 2025 research and developers prioritised

1.6 Materials and hardware opportunities adjacent to the plasma

1.7 Membrane materials in the fusion value chain and related devices by level of sophistication

1.8 Three conclusions: Investment trends in private fusion companies

1.9 SWOT appraisal of the potential of fusion grid power

1.10 SWOT appraisal of magnetic confinement fusion as a potential source grid electricity

1.11 SWOT appraisal of inertial confinement fusion as a potential source grid electricity

1.12 Fusion and allied systems, materials and hardware roadmap for technology vs market 2025-2045

1.13 Market forecasts in 22 lines, graphs 2025-2045

2. Fusion power and other plasma engineering materials in the context of renewable energy, the hydrogen economy reinvented and other industry

2.1 Overview with 2025 conference report, SWOT appraisal of the potential of fusion grid power

2.2 Hydrogen economy: a false start, reinvention and the promise of hydrogen fusion

2.3 Private fusion companies and governments race into hydrogen fusion power

2.4 Major government investment in fusion power

2.5 Examples of fusion materials challenges that are your opportunities

2.6 Comparison of properties of regular hydrogen (protium) with other fuels and with the deuterium and tritium forms of hydrogen

2.7 Comparison of actual fission and planned fusion power systems

2.8 Long duration energy storage LDES will partner fusion power

2.9 Earliest dates for fusion grid electricity being delivered

2.10 Other fusion and plasma engineering and other uses for deuterium derisks investment

3. Basics of fusion and examples of its high-value materials opportunities

3.1 Overview

3.2 Candidate fuels, reactions, reactor operating principles and designs

3.3 Milestones, reasons for size reduction and examples of companies for fusion power

3.4 Big picture of materials opportunities : liquids, solids, gases and plasma

3.5 Steel and other iron-based alloy formulations and structures for fusion reactor facilities

3.6 Hydrogen tank materials and chemical hydrogen storage materials

3.7 Tritium and deuterium membranes in context of others used in energy value chain, 2025 research

3.8 Beryllium with SWOT and 2025 research: Miresso

3.9 Tungsten with SWOT and 2025 research: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

4. Magnetic confinement fusion power: materials and hardware opportunities

4.1 Overview

4.2 SWOT appraisal of magnetic confinement fusion as a potential source grid electricity

4.3 Magnetic confinement geometries for fusion power

4.4 Materials opportunities adjacent to the plasma

4.5 Magnet advances

4.6 Heat sink/ heat transfer, coolant materials advances

4.7 Divertor materials research in 2025 and the new ITER installation

4.8 Plasma heating systems and robotics

4.9 Fusion power supplies and electricity generation systems

4.10 Examples of tokamak and Z-Pinch hardware opportunities: JET, ITER, EAST and others

4.11 Research in 2025 on toroidal and allied fusion power hardware

4.12 Inside-out magnetic confinement

5. Inertial confinement and magneto-inertial fusion power: materials and hardware opportunities

5.1 Overview

5.2 SWOT appraisal of inertial confinement fusion as a potential source grid electricity

5.3 Laser-based inertial confinement fusion (LICF) laser designs

5.4 Fusion target opportunities

5.5 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories LLNL National Ignition Facility NIF

5.6 China pulling ahead?

5.7 Other inertial and magneto-inertial confinement developers

6. Changing Investment focus, companies, hardware and materials to watch

6.1 Sudden surge in interest and investment: which technology and why

6.2 Investment in private companies

6.3 Investor intentions and deals by technology

6.4 Global effort

6.5 Analysis of private fusion companies racing to make hydrogen fusion electricity generators

6.6 Winning fusion power companies by country, various performance criteria, funding

6.7 Winning fusion power locations and technologies for government vs private investments

6.8 Significant key enabling materials and hardware attracting investment

6.9 Primary mentions of high added-value materials indicating popularity with examples of fusion uses

7. Materials opportunities in fusion technologies beyond fusion power generation

7.1 Overview

7.2 Principles proposed for fusion-propelled spacecraft

7.3 Electrostatic inertial confinement fusion advances, targetted uses in 2025

7.4 Plasma neutron sources for fusion and beyond: 2025 research

7.5 Gyrotron technology spinoff beyond fusion: geothermal drilling, other

7.6 High temperature superconductors beyond fusion

7.7 SHINE Technologies allied technologies then fusion power

Companies Featured

• Acceleron
• Airbus
• Alpha Tech
• Astral Systems
• Avalanche Energy
• Ballard Power Systems
• Blue Laser Fusion
• Commonwealth Fusion Systems
• Deutello
• Diamond Materials
• DuPont
• EURO Fusion
• Ex Fusion
• Faraday Factory
• First Light Fusion
• Focussed Energy
• Fremelt AB
• Fujikura
• Furukawa Electric Energy
• Fuse Energy Technology
• FusionXInvest
• Gauss Fusion
• General Atomic
• General Fusion
• HB11
• Helion Energy
• Helical Fusion
• Kairos Power
• Kern Microtechnik
• Kyoto Fusioneering
• Kyoto Fusion Systems
• Lawrenceville Plasma Physics
• LightFab GmbH
• Marvel Fusion
• Matsusada
• Miresso
• ModuleWorks GmbH
• NearStar
• NK Labs.
• Novatron
• NtTao
• OpenStar
• Pacific Fusion
• Plasma Fusion
• Plasmatreat GmbH
• Proxima Fusion
• Pulsar Fusion
• Realta Fusion
• Renaissance Fusion
• S&P Global
• SHINE Technologies
• StarTorus Fusion
• Suprema
• Thea Energy
• Tokamak Energy
• Tri Alpha Energy TAE Technologies
• TypeOneEnergy
• UKAEA
• Xcimer Energy
• Zap Energy

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1f69rf

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