KIT develops Industrial scale PIM production process for tungsten parts

摘要

Tungsten is the material of choice for the reactor wall surface of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor's (ITER] successor DEMO. The divertor, where plasma impurities and ash from the fusion process are removed, is exposed to extreme heat and particle fluxes. Tungsten is able to withstand such high heat stress, but it is difficult to process. The metal is extremely brittle and, therefore, traditional machining methods such as milling or turning are time consuming and expensive.