Beryllium processing technology review for applications in plasma-facing components

Abstract

Materials research and development activities for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), i.e., the next generation fusion reactor, are investigating beryllium as the first-wall containment material for the reactor. Important in the selection of beryllium is the ability to process, fabricate and repair beryllium first-wall components using existing technologies. Two issues that will need to be addressed during the engineering design activity will be the bonding of beryllium tiles in high-heat-flux areas of the reactor, and the in situ repair of damaged beryllium tiles. The following review summarizes the current technology associated with welding and joining of beryllium to itself and other materials, and the state-of-theart in plasma-spray technology as an in situ repair technique for damaged beryllium tiles. In addition, a review of the current status of beryllium technology in the former Soviet Union is also included.

Braze welding of cobalt with a silver–copper filler

“…welding techniques have been investigated over decades, but joint quality is still highly process dependent [6]. Brazing has emerged as the most reliable and preferred process for the joining of beryllium [6].…”

“…Brazing has emerged as the most reliable and preferred process for the joining of beryllium [6]. A variation of brazing, braze-welding, is often used, in which the beryllium base partially melts [7] and is joined by silver, or aluminum based filler wire [2].…”