Crack-free Nanosecond Laser Processing of Mechanically Enhanced Tungsten-rhenium Alloys

Laser processing of tungsten-rhenium alloys was investigated using a nanosecond Q-switched Nd:YAG laser system. The laser processing properties of a tungsten-rhenium alloy was evaluated in detail. The dependence of the processing hole size and processing depth on different laser fluences was characterized and the development of machined holes produced in different tungsten-rhenium alloys was analyzed. Furthermore, the ablation properties of pure tungsten and tungsten-rhenium alloys were investigated. The high-doped tungsten-rhenium alloy is experimentally confirmed to have better inhibitory effect on cracks and lowest ablation threshold. This results indicate the tungstenrhenium alloys are expected to be the next-generation nuclear fusion reactor material.