# PPPL cleans porous tungsten fusion wall tiles in vacuum with neon plasma and heat

_Tuesday, August 4, 2026 at 10:40 AM EDT · Science · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![PPPL cleans porous tungsten fusion wall tiles in vacuum with neon plasma and heat — Primary](https://scx2.b-cdn.net/gfx/news/hires/2026/a-new-approach-to-clea.jpg)

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University and Pennsylvania State University reported a way to clean porous tungsten tiles after they are installed inside a fusion system.

Fusion concepts that protect walls with liquid lithium held in sponge-like tungsten can be clogged when manufacturing contaminants such as carbon and oxygen react with lithium. Even cleaned tiles can be recontaminated when exposed to air during installation, according to a phys.org write-up of the work.

In experiments inside PPPL's Lithium Tokamak Experiment-Beta, highly contaminated porous tungsten samples were exposed to a neon glow discharge and heated to roughly 800°C (1,470°F). Combined heat and plasma cleaned more effectively than plasma alone, with samples changing from dull dark gray to metallic silver.

The results are published in Nuclear Materials and Energy (DOI: 10.1016/j.nme.2026.102123). Camila López Pérez led the research. The method aims to let future systems clean tiles under vacuum after installation rather than only before they enter the chamber.

## Sources

- [phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-08-approach-walls-fusion-obstacle-endless.html)

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