Improvement of Cr- and Ni-Coating Technology for ITER Conductors´ Production

New technological facilities for mass production of Cr-and Ni-coated superconducting strands and wires for the ITER project have been developed and built at the chemical and technological site in the Superconducting Wires and Cables Department of Russian Cable Institute (VNIIKP). They include the processing equipment for chemical and electrochemical pre-treatment of copper wire and superconducting strands and their subsequent Cr- and Ni-coating. The production processes and their parameters in conjunction with verification procedures ensure the required quality of strand, i.e. precise etching, chemically clean surface free of any defects before plating, thickness of coating 1.5-2.0 μm, adhesion of coatings-no flaking, designed diameter tolerance at the rate of production within 3-5 km an hour. The entire technological route has initial, intermediate and final check points for verification and confirmation of the quality of strands demanded. The facilities are equipped with devices for flow control and continuous measurement of length and diameter of coated strands and wires. All processes are based on soft technology, the six plants consume no more than 100 liters a day of distilled water altogether and have no environmental impact because they have no discharge to the main drain.