Cutting of tungsten plate for fusion device via pre-mixed abrasive water jet

Abstract To investigate the erosion mechanism of tungsten, as well as the influence of jet pressure and transverse speed on the surface roughness of a sample, the tungsten plate for the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) divertor was cut using the pre-mixed abrasive water jet. The analyses performed at different transverse speeds and jet pressures demonstrated that the transverse speed had a greater influence on the surface roughness of the sampled section. Reducing the transverse speed could reduce the surface roughness and improve the overall quality of the section. The influence of jet pressure on surface roughness was less than that of the transverse speed. Increasing the jet pressure can increase the depth of the smooth section and improve its quality. Examination of scanning electron micrographs revealed that plough-cutting damage and brittle fractures were the erosion mechanism employed by the pre-mixed abrasive water jet.