3D Printed Bimetallic Structures for Radio Frequency Devices, Topic 34a

During Phase II of this DOE SBIR program, NanoSonic addressed two opportunities identified by the Office of Nuclear Physics community regarding advanced materials for superconducting radio frequency components within particle accelerators. Specifically, NanoSonic developed new costeffective bimetallic structure forming techniques and polymers for gate valves intended to maintain performance upon exposure to krd to Mrd levels of radiation over a 2-year period. During this program, NanoSonic demonstrated low glass temperature (Tg), cryogenically resilient, yet high temperature durable polymers that could be modified with radiation resistant constituents in our twin-screw extruder using zero solvent – as films, filaments for 3D printing, or pellets for molding to result in low offgassing materials needed for vacuum seals. These materials were tested alongside commercial Viton gate valve seals that mechanically degraded upon 2 Gy with 1 GeV proton. During Phase II of this SBIR program, NanoSonic has designed, physically developed, and tested radiation durable, zero offgassing, additively manufactured composites and 3D printed bimetallic structures using cost effective binder jet methodology. The resultant PFAS-free radiation resistant composites are processed with a novel extrusion to in-situ injection technique hat allows for moldin- place production of VAT type seals. Three dimensional molded polymer o-rings were formed as part of the manufacturing feasibility plan and related materials were sold to multiple customers to promote growth and commercialization. Multiple high energy radiation exposure experiments at Brookhaven National Laboratory verified promising seal formulations that are currently being tested for sealing capability at Jefferson Laboratory. During Phase IIA, the promising vacuum seal composites exposed to high energy radiation shall be tested under high dose exposure with VPTRad. The down-selected materials used in Phase II shall also be refined for sealing capabilities and processing via chemistry modifications and investigated in a real-world environment at Jefferson Lab. Mechanical properties of the new gate valve polymers shall be tested before and after irradiation at VPTRad and Jefferson Laboratory to reach TRL 7. A commercialization strategy to reach Technology Readiness Level 9 in Phase IIA and III shall be established with integration partners to ultimately integrate the gate valves within CEBAF. New high radiation durable composites shall be used as replacements for Viton within gate valves for the cryomodules in Jefferson Laboratory’s CEBAF. A broader market can be addressed with the PFAS-free and void-free, non-outgassing radiation durable extruded filaments and pellets for 3D printed materials and injection molded structures.