In 2002 IFF contributed to the development of the ESS liquid mercury target module within the ESS-project mainly through the following tasks:

1. Experimental and computational studies of the effect of pressure pulses on the target structure, induced by the pulsed proton beam in the liquid metal.
2. Development and testing of means to mitigate these effects, mainly by introducing gas bubbles into mercury and by surface hardening of the structural materials.
3. Development of devices and study of high-cycle-fatigue and corrosion behaviour of structural materials in liquid mercury.
4. Studies on radiation damage of ESS candidate structural materials under proton and neutron irradiation, including investigations of the specific effects of the light transmutation products hydrogen and helium.