The use of copper alloy CuCrZr as a structural material for actively cooled plasma facing and in vessel components

This paper presents our experience with precipitation hardened CuCrZr in the fabrication of actively cooled components for Tore Supra (toroidal pump limiter fingers, guard limiter heat sink hollow-profiles, ripple protection tubes, endoscope heads) and JET high heat flux elements for the beam-lines. The supposed interplay phenomenon between CuCrZr procurement, component geometry and welding procedure is discussed. The associated mechanical characterisation of materials from different suppliers and component joinings, focused especially on CuCrZr–CuCrZr fusion weldings using electron beams (EB), is presented.