The thermal shock resistance of a joining material of C/C composite and copper

Plasma facing materials for the next fusion reactor devices will have sever e problems such as thermal shock fracture, surface erosion and injection of sputtering particles to plasma caused by charged particle fluxes and very high heat shocks. A joining material, in which a carbon fiber reinforced ca rbon composite was joined to oxygen-free copper by inserting a molybdenum p late and some metallic films in the joining layers, was developed for a sol ution of those problems. The thermal shock resistance and the thermal shock fracture toughness were evaluated by an eccentric local heating method of are discharge. The joining material did not fracture during severe thermal shock tests such as plasma disruption, however, thermal and delamination cr acks were observed at the joining parts by scanning electron microscope (SE M). These results can be useful in contributing to the development and the safety design of plasma facing components for fusion reactor devices. (C) 1 998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.