Friday, February 12, 2016, 11:01

Container coated with TaC with new method - ends tapped off,  liquid poured/swirled around container, then poured back out - 'flushing technique'.

Container wrapped with 3 x Ta heat shields, incl center block - new method of each layer being one long single Ta foil covering entire container incl center block

IGP1 = 6.3e-7Torr

HS water valves opened, no leaks detected.

Tapped up manually to 35A.

Waited ~20min.

Vacuum stable, IGP1 = 1.3e-6 Torr.

Initiated auto-ramp at 0.2A/min and 0.1A/min for the TGHT and TBHT respectively with final setpoints of 400A and 230A.

 Monday, February 15, 2016, 08:56

IGP1 = 3.9e-7 Torr.

TBHT = 230A, 4.0V

TGHT = 400A, 6.58V

OMEGA = 1766C

Tapping up manually to 1900C...

 Monday, February 15, 2016, 10:18

IGP1 = 5e-7 Torr

TGHT = 450A, 7.55V

OMEGA = 1913C

 Monday, February 15, 2016, 14:30

IGP1 = 4.9e-7 Torr.

TGHT = 450A, 7.55V.

Material remained at ~1910C for ~4hrs.

Initiating auto-cool at 2.0A/min and 1.0A/min for the TGHT and TBHT respectively.

 Tuesday, February 16, 2016, 14:17

vented in air and opened up this morning.

target container sintered nicely.