THE DEVELOPMENT OF RADIATION-RESISTANT COPPER MATRIX COMPOSITES

IMPROVED COPPER ALLOYS ARE DESIRED FOR RADIATION-RESISTANT HIGH HEAT-FLUX COMPONENTS AND FIRST-WALL STRUCTURES IN FUSION ENERGY SYSTEMS. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN COPPER ALLOYS WHICH ARE ALSO RADIATION RESISTANT CANNOT BE PROJECTED. HOWEVER, COPPER MATRIX COMPOSITES CAN BE PROJECTED TO INCREASE STRENGTH AND STIFFNESS OF 4-5 TIMES THAT OF ALLOY SYSTEMS AS WELL AS REDUCE DENSITY AND UP TO DOUBLE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY. THIS PROGRAM PROPOSES TO DEVELOP FABRICATION OF PURE COPPER MATRIX-GRAPHITE FIBER REINFORCED COMPOSITES AND TO INVESTIGATE RADIATION-RESISTANT COATING THE GRAPHITE FIBERS, UTILIZING ALLOYING ELEMENTS IN THE MATRIX AND REINFORCING FIBERS OTHER THAN GRAPHITE. A RADIATION-RESISTANT COPPER MATRIX COMPOSITE SYSTEM WILL BE OPTIMIZED FOR APPLICATIONS FOR HIGH-HEAT FLUX COMPONENTS AND FIRST-WALL STRUCTURES IN FUSION ENERGY SYSTEMS. IT IS PROJECTED COPPER MATRIX COMPOSITES WITH SIGNIFICANT IMPROVED PHYSICAL, MECHANICAL AND THERMAL PROPERTIES OVER COPPER ALLOYS WILL BE DEVELOPED.