Mechanical strength of an ITER coil insulation system under static and dynamic load after reactor irradiation

The insulation system proposed by the Japanese Home Team for the ITER Toroidal Field coil (TF coil) is a T-glass–fiber/Kapton reinforced epoxy prepreg system. In order to assess the material performance under the actual operating conditions of the coils, the insulation system was irradiated in the TRIGA reactor (Vienna) to a fast neutron fluence of 2×1022 m−2 (E>0.1 MeV). After measurements of swelling, all mechanical tests were carried out at 77 K. Tensile and short-beam-shear (SBS) tests were performed under static loading conditions. In addition, tension–tension fatigue experiments up to about 106 cycles were made. The laminate swells in the through-thickness direction by 0.86% at the highest dose level. The fatigue tests as well as the static tests do not show significant influences of the irradiation on the mechanical behavior of this composite.