A microwave system for gyrotron processing of materials

Summary form only given, as follows. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences have transferred gyrotron material-processing technology from the Paton Welding Institute in Kiev, Ukraine. This technology utilizes 35 kW, quasi-optical, continuous-wave gyrotron radiation at 37 GHz and 84 GHz. The technology is now being investigated to determine if it provides an economic advantage for various manufacturing applications. These applications include, but are not limited to, hardening of polymers, joining of ceramics, leadless soldering, application of coatings, and sintering of ceramics. The gyrotrons for the material processing contain an internal reflector and launch that provide a coherent, quasi-optical beam of energy that can be transported by means of quasi-optical techniques and deposited on a target in the form of a very small beam of energy, a thin-line source of energy, or a rastered beam of energy. In some instances, such as the joining of ceramics, this technique appears to offer ground-breaking solutions to material-processing problems. This presentation will provide an overview of the gyrotron material-processing facility at Los Alamos.