Vacuum-brazed joints made from carbon-based materials and metals for the nuclear fusion research

The stationary operation of fusion plants may involve power fluxes of up to 5 MW/m2 in the region of the surfaces of plasma-facing components. In the case of disruptions, these power fluxes can reach 30 MW/m2 at exposed locations within a few milliseconds. Special materials with fusion capability are required to cope with loads arising at these locations due to thermal fatigue, physical and chemical erosion as well as thermal evaporation or sublimation. Such materials, so-called low-Z materials, include carbon-based materials such as graphites, carbon fibre reinforced carbon, boron carbides and others. The exposure of these materials to the above power fluxes for experimental purposes requires particular water-cooled components of different geometry with a materials-connected interface between the carbon-based material and the water-cooled component of TZM or copper. The application of high-temperature brazing for a largely defect-free fabrication of such components with different geometry will be presented in the following. (orig.)