A new high-temperature indentation device for characterization of materials for fusion applications

Abstract For material characterization tests that simulate the operating conditions in a fusion reactor, high-temperature experiments on irradiated samples are necessary. After successful indentation investigations at room temperature, the next step is an adaption of the experiment to elevated temperatures. A high-temperature indentation device designed for this application was constructed and realized at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). This device will be installed in a hot cell of the Fusion Materials Laboratory, Institute for Applied Materials. A description of chosen solutions and construction details for realization of the device are given: the properties as well as the main parts of the new apparatus—sample heating and positioning, vacuum system, force actuator, and remote handling solutions—are described.