Technique for constructing high gradient insulators
A process for constructing a high-tensile strength, high-gradient insulator (HGI) may include stacking alternating layers of conductors and insulators, and vacuum pressure potting the stacked layers onto an insulating rod. The process may also include post machining the stacked layers to form a complete assembly of the HGI.
1. A process for constructing a high-tensile strength, high-gradient insulator (HGI), comprising:
cutting a multilayer circuit board into cylinders, wherein the multilayer circuit board comprising alternate layers of a conductor and an insulator;
stacking the cylinders within a soldering jig to make a rod;
placing solder or solder paste between adjacent cylinder faces;
placing a weight or applying an axial compression clamping force to the stack;
placing the jig into an oven set at a predefined temperature for a predefined period of time;
removing the jig from the oven and allowing the jig including the rod to cool;
cleaning and preparing the rod ends, including the structural ends caps and stacking rod assembly in the jig with an adhesive between the cylinder faces that are to be bounded;
curing the adhesive cured inside of the oven at a temperature lower than a solder melt temperature, and cooling the adhesive; and
cleaning the adhesive and performing a post machining to final geometry.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the multilayer circuit board comprises one or more combinations of one or more layers of Kapton, a thin adhesive film between each layer of the one or more layers of Kapton, and one or more conductive layers.
3. The process of claim 1 , further comprising:
preparing and cleaning cylinder ends for bonding.
4. The process of claim 3 , wherein the preparing and cleaning of the cylinder ends comprises deburring edges of the cylinders so that faces of the edges are substantially planar.
5. The process of claim 4 , wherein the faces of the edges are cleaned using water-based detergents, solvents, fine grit abrasives, plasma etching, or any combination thereof.
6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the predefine temperature within the oven is set to melt the solder between the cylinders to form the rod having the high tensile strength.
7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the rod remains inside of the oven as the oven returns to room temperature.
8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the predefined temperature is 20 degrees Celsius over a solder melting temperature.