Laura Lambert wrote:

Friday, April 17, 2015, 16:01 Total number of foils: 520 discs Total mass of materials [incl graphite foils]: 60.2441g Total length packed: 17.0cm Container is wrapped with 3x Ta-heat shields. No endcaps inserted to allow outgasing. Currently being pumped down.  Monday, April 20, 2015, 11:08 Target container is coated with TaC and wrapped with 3-Ta heat shields, not incl center block. TGHT and TBHT will be ramped up to 820A and 230A, respectively. Chamber pumped down over the weekend. IGP1 = 2.1e-7 Torr. HS cooling water valves opened; no leaks detected. TGHT max voltage = 18V, TBHT max voltage = 5V .... attempted to start stepping up manually. power supply not responding to epics controls for TBHT only...looking into problems now...  Monday, April 20, 2015, 16:06 Epics is working. Power supply connections unplugged/plugged back in. Everything working again. Tapped up manually to 40A. Waited ~1hr30 for vacuum to stabilize. IGP1 = 1.8e-6 Torr. Good vac = 3e-5 Torr. Bad vac = 4e-5 Torr. TGHT and TBHT will be ramped up to 820A and 230A, respectively. Initiating auto-ramp at 0.2A/min and 0.1A/min for the TGHT and TBHT respectively.  Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 15:23 TGHT = 200A, 2.26V; TBHT = 117A, 1.58V IGP1 = 9.8e-6 Torr. Increasing auto-ramp to 0.4A/min and 0.2A/min for the TGHT and TBHT respectively.

 Thursday, April 23, 2015, 10:15

Vac at 2.e-6 Torr.  Increased TGHT ramping rate to 1.0A/min.  Current temperature at 1443C, TGHT at 641A, TBHT at 230A.

 Thursday, April 23, 2015, 15:02

Evap#2 window for the temp reader is now coated, so temp reading is not available.  (see attachment). 

TGHT has been at 820A/13.45V for almost 2 hours, will continue to heat at this current for a few more hours.  Will initiate the cooling process from home…  

 Thursday, April 23, 2015, 22:31

Target has been heated at 820A for about 9.5hrs.  Current vacuum at 4.7e-7 Torr.

Initiating cooling process at -2A/min for TGHT and -1A/min for TBHT.

Friday, April 24, 2015, 10:13  

Target has been cooled at 0A for about 5 hours.  Chamber is currently being vented and the target will be taken out for inspection.

Friday, April 24, 2015, 12:37  

The target was inspected.  

Some yellow crystals were form around the ends but they were easily removed this time.  

With both ends open during the sintering process and shorten the target length with 1cm space of both side, the target is looking a lot better.  

 No visible damage on the target surface.  

Inside, the channel has a clear pathway, and the discs are nicely aligned.  

End caps and Rh foils are inserted - It's ready for assembly.

See link for pics after the sintering process.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/w5k4l3fezfat2cm/AAAyX67zyUPUVvN_WzEHFXM2a?dl=0