K. Humer et al., Dielectric strength, swelling and weight loss of the ITER Toroidal Field Model Coil insulation after low temperature reactor irradiation, CRYOGENICS, 40(4-5), 2000, pp. 295-301
The insulation system for the Toroidal Field Model Coil of ITER is a fiber
reinforced plastic (FRP) laminate, which consists of a combined Kapton/R-gl
ass-fiber reinforcement tape, vacuum-impregnated with an epoxy DGEBA system
. Pure disk shaped laminates, FRP/stainless-steel sandwiches, and conductor
insulation prototypes were irradiated at 5 K in a fission reactor up to a
fast neutron fluence of 10(22) m(-2) (E > 0.1 MeV) to investigate the radia
tion induced degradation of the dielectric strength of the insulation syste
m. After warm-up to room temperature, swelling, weight loss, and the breakd
own strength were measured at 77 K. The sandwich swells by 4% at a fluence
of 5 x 10(21) m(-2) and by 9% at 1 x 10(22) m(-2). The weight loss of the F
RP is 2% at 1 x 10(22) m(-2) The dielectric strength remained unchanged ove
r the whole dose range. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.