Development of high impact toughness Cu/ODS-Cu joints using HIP bonding process for the preparation of W/Cu/ODS-Cu monoblock divertor

Abstract

Compared to CuCrZr, oxide dispersion strengthened copper alloy (ODS-Cu) exhibits higher stability of properties under irradiation and exposure to elevated temperatures, demonstrating broad application prospects in divertor components. Oxygen-free high thermal conductivity copper (Cu-OFHC) has been frequently employed as an interlayer between W and Cu-based alloy in the fabrication of W/Cu divertor components. This study investigates the effect of joining temperature together with the addition of a Ni interlayer on the interface microstructure and mechanical properties of the Cu-OFHC/ODS-Cu joints. As the joining temperature increased from 680 ℃ to 900 ℃, the interface bonding ratio of the Cu-OFHC/ODS-Cu joints improved from 40.4% to 95.8%, and the impact toughness increased from 23.4 J/cm² to 133.1 J/cm². With the addition of a Ni interlayer, the interface bonding ratio increased from 40.4% to 90.3%, and the impact toughness improved from 23.4 J/cm² to 122.5 J/cm². Increasing the joining temperature or adding a Ni interlayer effectively reduced interfacial voids, enhanced the interface bonding ratio, and consequently improved the impact toughness of Cu-OFHC/ODS-Cu joints. Then, the W/Cu/ODS-Cu monoblock mock-ups with good interfacial bonding were successfully fabricated under two conditions: at a joining temperature of 900 ℃ without an interlayer and at 680 ℃ with a Ni interlayer. These results provide a fundamental understanding for achieving high-quality Cu-OFHC/ODS-Cu joints and offer technical support for the engineering preparation of W/Cu/ODS-Cu components in future fusion devices.