Alternate Additive Manufacturing to Produce and/or Join Nuclear Quality Components

Advanced fabrication and manufacturing methods like additive manufacturing that can produce nuclear quality components are required for the success of the Small Modular Reactor SMR). Most typical AM processes utilize fusion of a min molten pool generated continuously via CAD processing that produces a cast type anistropic microstructure that has high thermal stresses and often defects/porosity that cannot meet nuclear quality. Friction Stir Processing FSP) in an additive manufacturing AM) configuration FSAM) produces equiaxed very fine microstructures, defect and stress free which has the breakthrough AM processing to produce nuclear quality SMR components and other components for nuclear applications. In a STTR team effort with the world renowned Professor Rajiv Mishra in FSP processing at University of North Texas UNT), FSAM will be demonstrated to meet nuclear quality in a highly creep resistant combined steel ODS gradient alloy. Friction Stir Additive Manufacturing FSAM) shall be utilized to create a synergistically designed creep resistant structure consisting of 92 grade steel 9Cr-2W-Mo-V-Nb-N) gradient with ODSMA956. All parameters for FSAM shall be optimized to produce an equiaxed defect free very fine microstructure exhibiting high creep and fatigue resistance. Hybrid processing of combining laser or plasma transferred arc PTA) augmented heating with FSAM shall be demonstrated to produce and exemplary material of nuclear quality. In addition to small modular reactors SMRs) FSAM processing nuclear quality additive structures has application in all advanced manufacturing in the sectors of defense, energy conversion, aerospace, automotive, consumer and generally industrial/commercial.