Static and Dynamic Performance of Newly Developed ITER Relevant Insulation Systems after Neutron Irradiation

Fiber reinforced plastics will be used as insulation systems for the superconducting magnet coils of ITER. The fast neutron and gamma radiation environment present at the magnet location will lead to serious material degradation, particularly of the insulation. For this reason, advanced radiation‐hard resin systems are of special interest. In this study various R‐glass fiber / Kapton reinforced DGEBA epoxy and cyanate ester composites fabricated by the vacuum pressure impregnation method were investigated. All systems were irradiated at ambient temperature (340 K) in the TRIGA reactor (Vienna) to a fast neutron fluence of 1×1022 m−2 (E>0.1 MeV). Short‐beam shear and static tensile tests were carried out at 77 K prior to and after irradiation. In addition, tension‐tension fatigue measurements were used in order to assess the mechanical performance of the insulation systems under the pulsed operation conditions of ITER. For the cyanate ester based system the influence of interleaving Kapton layers on the st...