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Boronisation

(Science: radiobiology) energy confinement in a fusion plasma depends strongly on the average atomic number (Z) of the elements in the plasma. Boronisation refers to a process whereby boron (atomic number 5) is injected into a plasma and used to coat the walls of the reactor, the effect is that impurities from the reactor walls which enter the fusion plasma are primarily boron (which has a fairly low Z) rather than the higher-atomic-number metals typically used in reactor structures. Boronisation has been associated with improved fusion plasma performance. Boronisation is an example of wall conditioning.

See: boron, atomic number, wall conditioning, impurities.