Irradiation and mechanical testing of ITER relevant magnet insulation

In the scope of ITER Engineering Design Activities (EDA) the European Home Team performs an irradiation test program on industrially fabricated specimens of magnet insulation. AR the unique test facility available at the research reactor of the Technical University of Munich, the shear compression test samples were irradiated at 5 K and tested without warming up. The samples, provided by Japanese, US and European industry, were fabricated using different types of epoxy resin, but the same boron-free glass fabrics inter-leafed with Kapton foil. The results are presented and assessed. The Munich test facility is no longer available. A complementary test program carried out at the research reactor of the Atomic Institute in Vienna will form the basis of future :irradiation work. It is focused on the assessment of intrinsic material parameters and takes advantage of a new fatigue testing machine allowing operation at 77 K. Links to the Munich program were made by irradiating identical samples in both reactors (at 5 K in Munich and at ambient temperature in Vienna). Special sample geometry was developed and scaled versus standards for tensile and inter-laminar shear testing under cyclic load. Results on the static and dynamic properties are presented. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.