“人造太阳”关键核心材料实现国产工业化制备

Core Insights - The research team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has successfully industrialized the production of high-purity ton-level Hastelloy C276 metal substrates, overcoming technical bottlenecks in the manufacturing of second-generation high-temperature superconducting tapes for controlled nuclear fusion [1][2]. Group 1: Technological Breakthrough - The team developed a purification preparation technology that allows for the production of metal substrates essential for the superconducting tapes used in controlled nuclear fusion, often referred to as "artificial sun" [1]. - The new metal substrate is crucial for creating the strong magnetic fields necessary to confine plasma at temperatures exceeding one hundred million degrees Celsius [1]. Group 2: Material Properties - The produced Hastelloy C276 alloy has significantly lower contents of carbon, manganese, sulfur, phosphorus, oxygen, and nitrogen compared to imported materials, achieving purity levels that meet or exceed those of imported counterparts [1]. - The metal substrate has a thickness of only 0.046 millimeters, a width of 12 millimeters, and a length exceeding 2000 meters, with a surface roughness of less than 20 nanometers [2]. - The tensile strength of the material at liquid nitrogen temperatures exceeds 1900 MPa, capable of supporting a weight of 190 tons over an area the size of a fingernail, and retains a tensile strength above 1200 MPa even after being subjected to 900 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes [2].