The ion-driven permeation experiment PERMEX.

A new installation PERMEX for the investigation of ion-driven permeation through metals was designed and built. A metal membrane under investigation separates two high-vacuum chambers. In the implantation chamber, the membrane surface is irradiated with a monoenergetic deuterium ion beam with an incident energy in the interval of 100-3000 eV/D. The ion flux at the surface is in a range of 10(13)-2 x 10(14) D/cm2 s, the membrane temperature can be varied in the interval of 290-1050 K. The permeating deuterium flux from the outlet membrane surface to the volume of the second chamber (registration chamber) is measured by a quadrupole mass-analyzer. The outlet surface of the membrane can be cleaned by an argon ion beam. To approve the correct work of the setup a number of experiments were performed with Ni membranes. First results of experiments with tungsten membranes are presented.