NSUF 23-4778: Preliminary testing of additively manufactured UO2

Unlike the printing of metallic alloys, 3D printing of ceramics has proven to be much more challenging and less successful. This difficulty primarily arises from the high melting point of ceramics, which makes it difficult to control the traditional layer-by-layer melting and solidification process. However, the Idaho National Laboratory has recently achieved success in printing UO2 using digital light processing based on the polymerization technique. The objective of this project is to conduct tests on a few pre-fabricated UO2 samples, combining ion irradiation, structural characterization, and mechanical property testing. The main focus is to evaluate the quality of the samples and gain insights to optimize the next step in the printing process before proceeding with reactor testing using ATR. This NSUF project involves proton and heavy ion irradiation conducted at Texas A&M University, as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and pillar compression testing carried out at the Idaho National Laboratory. The irradiation process will utilize the recently equipped ultra-high-temperature hot stage, capable of maintaining an irradiation temperature of 1200°C.

Additional Info

Field	Value
Abstract	Unlike the printing of metallic alloys, 3D printing of ceramics has proven to be much more challenging and less successful. This difficulty primarily arises from the high melting point of ceramics, which makes it difficult to control the traditional layer-by-layer melting and solidification process. However, the Idaho National Laboratory has recently achieved success in printing UO2 using digital light processing based on the polymerization technique. The objective of this project is to conduct tests on a few pre-fabricated UO2 samples, combining ion irradiation, structural characterization, and mechanical property testing. The main focus is to evaluate the quality of the samples and gain insights to optimize the next step in the printing process before proceeding with reactor testing using ATR. This NSUF project involves proton and heavy ion irradiation conducted at Texas A&M University, as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and pillar compression testing carried out at the Idaho National Laboratory. The irradiation process will utilize the recently equipped ultra-high-temperature hot stage, capable of maintaining an irradiation temperature of 1200°C.
Award Announced Date	2023-09-14T13:37:51.717
Awarded Institution	None
Facility	None
Facility Tech Lead	Alina Zackrone, Lin Shao
Irradiation Facility	None
PI	Lin Shao
PI Email	[email protected]
Project Type	RTE
RTE Number	None