Development of tungsten sintering technology for fusion applications

Abstract

In this study, sintering conditions to obtain high-density sintered tungsten materials with thermal stability were studied utilizing spark plasma sintering method (SPS). Sintering factors such as sintering powder condition, temperature, time, pressure and process were independently controlled to figure out their effects. The microstructure and properties of samples sintered under each controlled condition were feedbacked to obtain optimized sintering conditions. The thermal stabilities of tungsten samples were evaluated by high heat flux (HHF) test. The microstructures of sintered samples after HFF test were compared with those of the Plansee ITER grade tungsten samples after HHF test. It was revealed that the high-density sintered tungsten samples fabricated by SPS possess better microstructural stability and mechanical property than Plansee ITER grade tungsten samples under elevated temperature conditions. Additionally, improvement of mechanical properties of tungsten materials were also investigated.