According to Interesting Engineering, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded a grant of $2.3 million to a team of scientists at the University of Kentucky so they can work to develop materials strong enough to survive the inside of a fusion reactor. Considering the inside of a fusion reactor can reach temperatures of 180 million degrees Fahrenheit and beyond, this is quite the task.
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John Balk, lead researcher of the project, was quoted by Interesting Engineering as saying, “Materials research is critically important and underpins many other science and engineering efforts, and this project is a good example of that impact.”
https://tech.yahoo.com/articles/scientists-announce-plan-build-nearly-113057000.html