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DOE OSTI2023

Preliminary Feasibility of Printing, Microstructure Analysis and Mechanical Performance of a Down Selected Ni Alloy

This report is submitted as completion of a Milestone 3 deliverable under work package ORNL CT-23OR1304051 in support of the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) program. The AMMT program is aiming at the faster incorporation of new materials and manufacturing technologies into complex nuclear-related systems. An integrated approach, combining advanced characterization, high-throughput and accelerated testing, modeling and simulation including machine learning and artificial intelligence will be employed. While 316H (Fe-16-18Cr-10-14Ni-2-3Mo-0.04-0.1C) has been identified as a key alloy to be integrated into the AMMT accelerated alloy qualification approach due its relevance for many current and future nuclear energy reactors, many other alloys could be considered for the advanced fabrication of innovate high-performance nuclear components. ANL, INL, ORNL and PNNL are collaborating on identifying the most promising alloy candidates relevant for the AMMT program. A selection criteria matrix was established to evaluate the alloys considering their relative importance and technological readiness levels for nuclear energy applications, with a focus on laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). Due to the broad range of potential candidate alloys, ORNL and INL focused on Ni-based alloys, while ANL and PNNL mainly evaluated Fe-based alloys. PNNL previously published materials scorecards reports on several key alloys and this report is providing a broader overview of Ni-based candidate alloys, expending beyond alloys well-known to the nuclear community. Of particular interest are alloys that are currently commercially available in powder form due to the growing demand from other industries that have invested heavily in additive manufacturing. Among these alloys, Haynes 282 (Fe-20Cr-20Co-8Mo) was selected due to its superior strength at high temperature compared to the code-qualified alloy 617 (Ni-20-24Cr-10-15Co-8-10Mo). To assess the integration of this new alloy into the AMMT digital manufacturing framework, we performed the rapid optimization of alloy 282 printing parameters on a Renishaw 250 machine, the fabrication of sufficient materials for extensive characterization and mechanical testing both at ORNL and INL, and added the printing data into the digital platform via the Peregrine software. A detailed analysis of the LPBF 718 alloy was also conducted, with creep specimens being tested at 600-650°C and characterized by advanced electron microscopy. The alloy superior mechanical strength and great printability associated with the extensive database that has already been generated highlight the promising potential of LPBF 718 as a candidate alloy for the AMMT program. INL, ANL and PNNL have generated similar reports and all the information will be compiled into a final M2 milestone report to provide the AMMT leadership team with clear recommendations on the down selection of reactor materials, as well as establish a roadmap for the qualification of these selected alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2023

Multiqubit noise deconvolution and characterization

We present a noise deconvolution technique for obtaining noiseless expectation values of noisy observables at the output of multiqubit quantum channels. For any number of qubits or in the presence of correlations, our protocol applies to any mathematically invertible noise model, even when its inverse map is not physically implementable, i.e., when it is neither completely positive nor trace preserving. For a generic observable affected by Pauli noise it provides a quadratic speedup, always producing a rescaling of its Pauli basis components. We show that it is still possible to achieve the deconvolution while experimentally estimating the noise parameters, whenever these are unknown (bypassing resource-heavy techniques such as quantum process tomography). We provide a simulation, with examples for both Pauli and non-Pauli channels.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2023

High Temperature Ternary Chloride Molten Salt Pump

This work investigates the design criteria considering thermal, structural, and material selection of a ternary chloride (MgCl2-NaCl-KCl) molten salt pump that is capable of running at temperatures above 720 °C. In this work, preliminary testing of salt-wetted hydrodynamic bearings was done to investigate different material pairings including Colmonoy grades, Stellite grades, and a novel Nickel Tungsten Carbide alloy (HybrimetTM NiWC3b) used as a High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) coating. The coating has shown to withstand the corrosive nature of the molten salt. The pump wetted components are made of Inconel 625 and features a carbon ring seal (CIRPAC Seal) flooded with a N2 gas flow on the overhead to keep salt vapors from interacting with the external ambient air. A comprehensive pump test program has been completed. Over 90 hours run time pumping hot chloride salts at temperatures up to 720 °C in which enough data was captured to produce performance curves at 3 different operating speeds. This research showcases a promising design for use in the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Gen 3 liquid-pathway and sets the ground for further development and use of the HybrimetTM NiWC3b as a competitive alternative to available superalloys.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2026

ROADRUNNER uranium nitride MiniFuel: Experimental design, fabrication and pre-irradiation baseline characterization for accelerated burnup testing

Uranium nitride (UN) is a promising fuel candidate for advanced reactor systems owing to its high uranium density and thermal conductivity; however, its qualification remains constrained by the scarcity of well-controlled irradiation performance data. Here, to address this limitation, the ROADRUNNER (Research On ADvancing the peRformance of UraNium Nitrides in Extreme enviRonments) campaign employs the MiniFuel platform in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) to enable accelerated burnup irradiation testing under tightly controlled and largely isothermal conditions. This paper presents the experimental design, fuel fabrication, and pre-irradiation baseline characterization of the ROADRUNNER UN MiniFuel campaign. Thirty-six UN minidisc specimens were fabricated with systematically varied as-fabricated density (86–96% of theoretical density), carbon impurity content (961–5240 ppm), oxygen content (≤ ∼2000 ppm), and grain size (2.5–24 μm). The irradiation matrix spans nominal fuel temperatures of 873 K, 1173 K, and 1473 K and target burnups of 3.75%, 6.0%, and 7.5% fissions per initial metal atom (FIMA). Neutronic and thermal analyses were performed to define specimen-specific burnup accumulation and temperature histories, establishing the boundary conditions for subsequent in-pile behavior. Comprehensive pre-irradiation characterization—including dimensional metrology, density verification, impurity analysis, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray computed tomography, and confocal profilometry—provides a detailed baseline for post-irradiation examination. Pre-irradiation data were further used to generate predictive estimates of fission gas release and swelling using existing empirical correlations. This quantitative comparison reveals substantial inter-model divergence at intermediate and elevated temperatures that exceeds propagated input uncertainties, highlighting structural gaps in the historical irradiation database. The ROADRUNNER irradiation campaign is currently underway in HFIR, with initial firs cycle completed in late 2025 and remaining targets scheduled through 2027. The experimental design and baseline dataset presented here establish the framework needed to interpret forthcoming post-irradiation measurements and to provide discriminating data for the validation and refinement of physics-based UN fuel performance models.

Lopes, Denise Adorno [Oak Ridge National Laborator↗

NASA NTRS1973

Impact resistance of fiber composite blades used in aircraft turbine engines

Resistance of advanced fiber reinforced epoxy matrix composite materials to ballistic impact was investigated as a function of impacting projectile characteristics, and composite material properties. Ballistic impact damage due to normal impacts, was classified as transverse (stress wave delamination and splitting), penetrative, or structural (gross failure). Steel projectiles were found to be gelatin ice projectiles in causing penetrative damage leading to reduced tensile strength. Gelatin and ice projectiles caused either transverse or structural damage, depending upon projectile mass and velocity. Improved composite transverse tensile strength, use of dispersed ply lay-ups, and inclusion of PRD-49-1 or S-glass fibers correlated with improved resistance of composite materials to transverse damage. In non-normal impacts against simulated blade shapes, the normal velocity component of the impact was used to correlate damage results with normal impact results. Stiffening the leading edge of simulated blade specimens led to reduced ballistic damage, while addition of a metallic leading edge provided nearly complete protection against 0.64 cm diameter steel, and 1.27 cm diameter ice and gelatin projectiles, and partial protection against 2.54 cm diameter projectiles of ice and gelatin.

Friedrich, L. A.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Microbe-Encapsulated Silica Gel Biosorbents for Selective Extraction of Scandium from Coal Byproducts

Establishing an inexpensive and environmentally friendly scandium (Sc) supply is critical for the development of clean energy technologies. However, refining Sc from Sc-bearing sources using current technologies poses economic and environmental challenges due to its low concentration relative to base metals and chemically similar lanthanides. In this work, we developed a biosorption-based flow-through process for extraction of Sc from low-grade feedstocks. A novel biosorbent material was synthesized by encapsulating Arthrobacter nicotianae, a bacterium that selectively adsorbs Sc, within a porous silica matrix. Through the use of several complementary microscopy techniques, we demonstrated a highly porous biosorbent structure with a high cell-loading density and a homogenous cell distribution. Batch adsorption assays revealed selective Sc adsorption over lanthanides and common based metals, with the exception of Fe(III), as evidenced by separation factors greater than 50. The MESG particles were packed into fixed-bed columns to enable adsorption under flow-through conditions, which demonstrated effective Sc extraction at flow rates up to 0.08 cm/s and high stability for reuse; greater than 95% of the adsorption capacity was maintained after 10 consecutive adsorption/desorption cycles. When applied to a lignite coal leachate, whose Fe content was depleted through pH-mediated precipitation, the MESG particles yielded Sc breakthrough at 30 bed volumes, whereas all other metals broke through after only a few bed volumes. Following desorption, an eluate with a 124-fold increase in Sc purity was achieved relative to the lignite leachate with Sc constituting 96.4% of the total REEs. This study established a rapid, facile, and scalable cell immobilization approach that enables the use of microbial biomass for Sc recovery from low-grade sources.

Dong, Ziye↗

DOE OSTI2025

Upstreamness and downstreamness in input–output analysis from local and aggregate information

Abstract Ranking sectors and countries within global value chains is of paramount importance to estimate risks and forecast growth in large economies. However, this task is often non-trivial due to the lack of complete and accurate information on the flows of money and goods between sectors and countries, which are encoded in input–output (I–O) tables. In this work, we show that an accurate estimation of the role played by sectors and countries in supply chain networks can be achieved without full knowledge of the I–O tables, but only relying on local and aggregate information, e.g., the total intermediate demand per sector. Our method, based on a rank-1 approximation to the I–O table, shows consistently good performance in reconstructing rankings (i.e., upstreamness and downstreamness measures for countries and sectors) when tested on empirical data from the world input–output database. Moreover, we connect the accuracy of our approximate framework with the spectral properties of the I–O tables, which ordinarily exhibit relatively large spectral gaps. Our approach provides a fast and analytically tractable framework to rank constituents of a complex economy without the need of matrix inversions and the knowledge of finer intersectorial details.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2025

An Application of Molecular Recognition for the Efficient Removal of Cesium from Hanford Nuclear Waste by Modular Solvent Extraction

In this work, experimental results leading to flowsheet design are presented showing how a calixarene-crown ether based solvent-extraction process can meet the challenge of cesium removal from nuclear tank wastes stored at the US Department of Energy Hanford site. Cleanup of legacy Cold War nuclear waste stored in underground tanks represents one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the US Department of Energy in terms of risk, cost, and effectiveness of applicable science and technology. Planning for the cleanup at the Hanford Site calls for the removal of the radioactive fission product 137Cs from its alkaline salt waste, including the use of modular processes that can be deployed near the tank farms. To meet the resulting need for extremely high selectivity, the Next-Generation Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction (NG-CSSX) process employing a calix[4]arene-crown ether in modified kerosene has been adapted to remove sub-millimolar cesium in competition with molar sodium and potassium in a high-nitrate alkaline matrix. Potassium loading in the solvent was determined in extraction, scrubbing, and stripping, leading to an empirical model closely approximating cesium distribution ratios for a variety of Hanford waste types. Process chemistry has been developed based on this molecular-recognition approach, focusing on the competitive effect of potassium loading and the mitigating process modifications needed, including extending the scrub section. The result is a modular flowsheet design that can achieve cesium decontamination factors well in excess of 15,000 even for the worst-case Hanford waste.

Williams, Neil [ORNL] (ORCID:000000023159226X)↗

DOE OSTI2024

Solidification of SRPPF Aqueous Recovery Liquid: Process Disruptions

Savannah River National Laboratory has identified a magnesium oxysulfate grout formulation to solidify the liquid effluent from the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF) Aqueous Recovery System (ARS). The formulation uses reactive, light burnt MgO, anhydrous MgSO 4 , and dead burnt MgO and provides good mixability, similar density to the original Portland Cement-based mix, and a leachate pH of 9.39, within the assumed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) brine pH range. The formulation will solidify the effluent using a solid first, lost paddle design, within a 55-gallon drum. A series of seven different process disruptions, or irregular processing during the expected ARS liquid effluent solidification process, were completed to assess the severity of the impact of the process disruption and how the formulation behaves under these conditions. Seven process disruptions were investigated including: No Mixing, Partial Mixing, Compacted/Stratified, Sealed, Overfilled, Underfilled, and Undermixed. The impact on solidification, leachate pH, Er (a Pu/Am surrogate) distribution, and density of the resulting grout were established. Overall, four of the process disruptions, No Mixing, Partial Mixing, Compacted/Stratified, and Overfilled, resulted in basic, unabsorbed liquid that would require additional solidification to be acceptable for WIPP. Most solids generated in this testing met the expected WIPP leachate pH requirements. Solids from the Compacted/Stratified process disruption test, however, produced a leachate pH slightly above the assumed range in the WIPP performance assessment. The distribution of Er for most of the tests was relatively consistent. The No Mixing process disruption test, however, resulted in non-homogeneous Er distribution, indicating that radioactive material would not be evenly distributed throughout this solid’s matrix. The Overfilled test is the only mix with a density slightly below the acceptable value. The Sealed and Overmixed tests produced a solid closest to the standard mix with no unabsorbed liquid, expected leachate pH levels, consistent Er concentrations, and expected density, indicating these process disruptions do not have a negative impact on the final grout form. Based on the other process disruptions, it is critical to have premixed dry materials and a well-defined mixing process to produce a solid, homogeneous magnesium oxysulfate cement, with no unabsorbed liquid. These process disruption tests show that the lack of adequate mixing is fundamental to creating an improperly solidified material that may require remediation.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE OSTI2026

Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay of 136 Xe and Related Nuclear Structure Studies (Final Scientific Report)

The search for neutrinoless double-beta decay (0nbb) explores new physics by directly probing the unknown mass scale and possible Majorana nature of the neutrino. The nEXO experiment, one of the two leading proposed ton-scale projects in the US, has a projected sensitivity to the 136 Xe 0nbb half-life of 10 28 years. The interpretation of possible signals in this next generation of experiments would be complicated by significant variations in theoretical calculations of the nuclear matrix elements (NMEs) of the decay, and nuclear structure measurements testing those theories can help address that uncertainty. We have 136 Xe(p,n) 136 Cs reaction at TUNL to deduce the level-scheme of states in 136 Cs through which the lowest-lying 1+ state decays. We find that over 99% of such decays will proceed through at least one isomeric state with a lifetime of order 100ns, which would enable large xenon detectors to employ a delayed-coincidence technique to search for charge-exchange processes including solar neutrino interactions. We have carried out measurements at TUNL of the 134 Xe( 3 He,n) 136 Ba and 136 Xe( 3 He,n) 138 Ba reactions to low-lying 0 + states in the residuals to probe the BCS assumption for QRPA NME calculations for the initial and final nuclei in 136 Xe 0nbb. While the analyses of these reactions is not yet complete and is ongoing, our initial results indicate tension with the BCS assumption. We have assembled a thermosyphon cooling R&D system for nEXO which has demonstrated up to 500 W of cooling in vacuum. We have developed a simple thermosyphon cooling simulation for nEXO and planned laboratory tests with the R&D system to benchmark it.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A New Statistical Estimate of the Radar Coverage of the Low Earth Orbit Debris Environment

For over three decades, the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) has used the Goldstone Orbital Debris Radar, Haystack Ultrawideband Satellite Imaging Radar (HUSIR), and Haystack Auxiliary (HAX) radar assets to collect data on the low Earth orbit (LEO) debris environment. Each radar, with its unique beamwidth, altitude and inclination coverage, and limiting size threshold, operates in a beam park mode to statistically sample the orbital debris population in LEO. Provided that these assets are shared with other users, the orbital debris data collection is not continuous; rather, intermittent data collects are acquired and sent to the NASA ODPO. To understand the sampling process conducted by each radar over time and any related observational biases, a Statistical Confirmation of Radar Uniformity or Bias (SCRUB) code has been implemented to model the coverage of these assets for informing future operations, as well as usage of the data collected from these ground-based sensors. For this analysis, Right Ascension of the Ascending Node (RAAN) is used as a metric to measure statistical coverage. A complete survey of the LEO environment is understood to be measurements that sufficiently sample all values of RAAN for each altitude-inclination pair visible from the radar asset. Regions of incompleteness or statistical bias can help inform future observation campaigns. The SCRUB tool evaluates the coverage of the LEO environment, not by examining individual objects that may pass through a sensor’s field of view (FOV), but by determining which orbit planes pass through the FOV. Once a pointing geometry for a radar site, observation time, and range extent are configured by the user, SCRUB computes the inclinations and altitudes that are visible by the sensor. For each inclination-altitude pair, there is a distinct pair of possible RAAN values, corresponding to the ascending and descending orbit passing through that point in the sensor cone. Repeating this process for all points in the beam, and for multiple time periods during an observation window, creates a matrix of all inclination-altitude-RAAN combinations that are visible during a sensor run. This process can then be repeated for all observations within a year (for an annual survey), propagating all the RAAN values to a common epoch, typically the start of a calendar year, and combining the observations to assemble a full estimate of the RAAN coverage of the LEO environment. This RAAN coverage can then be analyzed for uniformity of sampling, within a certain inclination-altitude pair, or between larger regions of the space environment. This paper provides a general overview of the radar assets utilized by ODPO, typical analysis data products assuming circular orbits, and a discussion of the algorithms that feed between modeling and measurement operations. Following the description of the algorithm, estimates of coverage using HUSIR radar data collected from multiple years are developed and compared.

Chris L Ostrom↗

DOE OSTI2021

Optimized Carbon Fiber Intermediate Development to Enable High-Volume Manufacturing of Lightweight Automotive Composites

The ongoing pursuit of improved fuel economy and reduced greenhouse gas emissions has resulted in sustained interest for lightweight materials technologies. In this context, carbon fiber composites have captured the imagination of automotive engineers due to the potential to achieve substantial mass reduction when compared to traditional steel construction. That stated, the use of carbon fiber composites in automotive has been limited for the most part to premium supercars and other derivative platforms. In these cases, manufacturing costs are less of an obstacle to implementation, and the performance benefits of carbon fiber have enabled production of structures offering more than 50% weight savings. In practice, translating these low-volume demonstrations onto high-volume vehicle platforms has remained challenging. This can be attributed to several factors, with the absence of suitable high throughput production methodologies being a key impediment. To date, structural, crash critical components have relied upon manufacturing techniques born out of the aerospace industry. This has created a disconnect between automotive production systems that are accustomed to manufacturing multiple parts per minute and the aerospace technologies that have cycle times in the order of hours. Consequently, the focus of this project is the development of manufacturing process technology for carbon fiber composites that can support a mainstream vehicle program at an assumed throughput of 100,000 vehicles per year. In practice, this translates to a part-to-part cycle time of less than 3 minutes. Project participation included contributions from a broad range of academic, industrial and national lab partners. The primary scope of work, being the development of new carbon fiber epoxy compounds that are stable at room temperature and suited to high throughput automated processing. For project management, the work streams were divided into six key areas, with the lead organization in parentheses. • Carbon fiber/epoxy materials formulation development and scale up (Dow) • Simulation of discontinuous near isotropic meso-structure intermediates (Purdue) • Simulation of mechanical performance of compression molded components (Purdue) • Meso-Scale morphological analysis and correlation with structural performance (UTK) • Paint and adhesion durability analysis (MSU) • Demonstrator part design, prototype production, and validation testing (Ford). The primary goal at the commencement of the project was development of a chopped carbon fiber sheet molding compound (SMC) that offered a three times improvement in tensile modulus over a comparable glass-based SMC. In addition to meeting mechanical performance targets, the resin kinetics were modified to achieve a processing cycle time of less than 3 minutes. Other critical-to-quality (CTQ) specifications were also stipulated to account for a broad range of materials and processing characteristics. To achieve the above, staff scientists at Dow Chemical created an extensive series of new epoxy blends for testing and validation. Throughout this development, a key challenge was attaining material performance goals without impacting processing behavior and paintability of finished components. The latter required a new internal mold release system being developed by Dow that was designed to complement the kinetics of the rapid cure epoxy. As a complement to work studies at the industrial partners, the teams from academia executed a series of analytical and experimental studies to investigate potential factors influencing CF-SMC performance. Unit cell models were developed to capture the meso-scale representations of the fiber matrix architecture. Results of this analysis and subsequent morphological investigations led to the design of a novel composite derivative comprising carbon fiber platelets embedded in an epoxy matrix; the platelet size and aspect ratio playing significant role in final composite properties. This approach was a departure from previous research in CF-SMC development whereby bulk filamentization or disassembly of the carbon fiber rovings had been considered the most effective means of achieving both fiber wet through and wet-out. As the course of the academia studies progressed, the aspect ratio of the fiber constituents was further optimized before finalizing material attributes and processing conditions. For the purposes of technology validation, the Ford team led a work stream devoted to the design, fabrication and testing of demonstration components. The carbon fiber SMC material has the potential to displace numerous stampings and castings on an automotive structure but ultimately vehicle closure applications were selected to showcase the abilities of the CF-SMC to achieve both mass reduction and business case for large complex structures. Using target properties established by the Dow staff scientists, the complete closure system for a full-size sedan decklid and a mid-size wagon liftgate were engineered. Prototypes for both applications were fabricated using production representative processing methods to allow for physical testing and performance validation of the CF-SMC structures. Following completion of a testing program that concluded with a FMVSS301 55 mph offset rear crash, the CF-SMC formulation was declared by the Ford team to have met all engineering requirements. To summarize, the joint development activities during this project led to significant technical breakthroughs and achievement of all milestones. The result was the development of a novel, tack-free carbon fiber molding compound that is suited to automated processing. This combined room temperature stability, fast cure kinetics, and internal mold release system facilitates cycle times that are conducive to high-volume production. The VORAFUSE M6400 successfully passed technology validation at Ford and is now eligible for consideration on future production commercial vehicle programs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1995

Bend stress relaxation and tensile primary creep of a polycrystalline alpha-SiC fiber

Understanding the thermomechanical behavior (creep and stress relaxation) of ceramic fibers is of both practical and basic interest. On the practical level, ceramic fibers are the reinforcement for ceramic matrix composites which are being developed for use in high temperature applications. It is important to understand and model the total creep of fibers at low strain levels where creep is predominantly in the primary stage. In addition, there are many applications where the component will only be subjected to thermal strains. Therefore, the stress relaxation of composite consituents in such circumstances will be an important factor in composite design and performance. The objective of this paper is to compare and analyze bend stress relaxation and tensile creep data for alpha-SiC fibers produced by the Carborundum Co. (Niagara Falls, NY). This fiber is of current technical interest and is similar in composition to bulk alpha-SiC which has been studied under compressive creep conditions. The temperature, time, and stress dependences will be discussed for the stress relaxation and creep results. In addition, some creep and relaxation recovery experiments were performed in order to understand the complete viscoelastic behavior, i.e. both recoverable and nonrecoverable creep components of these materials. The data will be presented in order to model the deformation behavior and compare relaxation and/or creep behavior for relatively low deformation strain conditions of practical concern. Where applicable, the tensile creep results will be compared to bend stress relaxation data.

Hee Man, Yun↗

DOE OSTI2024

Simultaneous Separation of Protactinium-230 and Uranium-230 Isotopes from a Proton-Irradiated Thorium Matrix

The use of radioisotopes in cancer therapy is becoming increasingly important. As a potential candidate for targeted alpha therapy, 230 U (t 1/2 = 20.8 d), the decay daughter of 230 Pa (t 1/2 = 17.4 d) is currently being investigated for cancer treatment. For radioisotopes to be used in biomedicine, they must be radiochemically pure and free from carrier interference. This can be challenging given their short half-life. Thus, in this study, radiological separation methods for harvesting isotopes for use in biomedicine must be simple, fast, and capable of obtaining the required purity levels. Herein, we demonstrate a new rapid method for the separation of 230 U and 230 Pa from a proton-irradiated 232 Th metal target and from coproduced fission products with high recovery and purity. A dual-column approach was used, in which the first column was an anion exchange (AX) column and the second column was a DGA column. The MP-1 AX resin was used for the primary separation of the three major components (U, Pa, and Th, as well as fission products), and the DGA column was used for further purification of the separated 230 U. The method is simple and allows for straightforward separation of U, Pa, Th, and fission products; also, the entire process from target dissolution to shipment of 230 U could be completed in 3 days with an overall 230 U recovery yield of 96 ± 3%. Additionally, separated 230 Pa fractions can be used to harvest ingrown 230 U after initial separation.

DGA resin↗

DOE OSTI2024

Report on Initial Tribological Studies of Graphite in Dry Argon and Molten Salt Environment

This report documents completion of the Advanced Reactor Technologies (ART) Level 2 Milestone M2TG-24OR0501081: “Complete report on initial tribological studies within molten salt environment”, due January 31, 2024. This milestone is a carryover milestone from FY23 M2TG-23OR0501091. The report summarizes the initial studies on tribological characterization of the graphite–graphite sliding interface in a dry argon and molten FLiNaK salt environment. The experiments were conducted on a high-temperature multifunctional tribometer placed in a glovebox. This configuration enables probing the wear and friction properties at high temperatures in an inert environment. The worn surfaces were analyzed using high-resolution microscopy and white-light profilometry to determine the wear modes and wear rates. This report discusses the previous wear and friction studies on 316H stainless steel (SS) sliding against graphite in molten salt for different temperatures, sliding speeds, and salt amount. Moreover, key tribological parameters of pebble-on-pebble interaction in gas-cooled and molten salt reactors (MSRs) are analyzed and used to design an experimental test matrix for future studies. The outcomes of this project could provide key information about the tribological behavior of graphite pebbles in gas-cooled and MSRs, thereby contributing to safer operation.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

NASA NTRS1999

Synergistic Effects of Physical Aging and Damage on Long-Term Behavior of Polymer Matrix Composites

The research consisted of two major parts, first modeling and simulation of the combined effects of aging and damage on polymer composites and secondly an experimental phase examining composite response at elevated temperatures, again activating both aging and damage. For the simulation, a damage model for polymeric composite laminates operating at elevated temperatures was developed. Viscoelastic behavior of the material is accounted for via the correspondence principle and a variational approach is adopted to compute the temporal stresses within the laminate. Also, the effect of physical aging on ply level stress and on overall laminate behavior is included. An important feature of the model is that damage evolution predictions for viscoelastic laminates can be made. This allows us to track the mechanical response of the laminate up to large load levels though within the confines of linear viscoelastic constitutive behavior. An experimental investigation of microcracking and physical aging effects in polymer matrix composites was also pursued. The goal of the study was to assess the impact of aging on damage accumulation, in ten-ns of microcracking, and the impact of damage on aging and viscoelastic behavior. The testing was performed both at room and elevated temperatures on [+/- 45/903](sub s) and [02/903](sub s) laminates, both containing a set of 90 deg plies centrally located to facilitate investigation of microcracking. Edge replication and X-ray-radiography were utilized to quantify damage. Sequenced creep tests were performed to characterize viscoelastic and aging parameters. Results indicate that while the aging times studied have limited ]Influence on damage evolution, elevated temperature and viscoelastic effects have a profound effect on the damage mode seen. Some results are counterintuitive, including the lower strain to failure for elevated temperature tests and the catastrophic failure mode observed for the [+/- 45/9O3](sub s), specimens. The fracture toughness for transverse cracks increases with increasing temperature for both systems: transverse cracking was completely absent prior to failure in [+/- 45/903](sub s), and was suppressed for [02/903](sub s). No significant effect of damage on aging or viscoelastic parameters was observed.

Brinson, L. Cate↗

NASA NTRS2004

Foreign Object Damage Behavior of a SiC/SiC Composite at Ambient and Elevated Temperatures

Foreign object damage (FOD) behavior of a gas-turbine grade SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite (CMC) was determined at 25 and 1316 C, employing impact velocities from 115 to 440 meters per second by 1.59-mm diameter stell-ball projectiles. Two different types of specimen support were used at each temperature: fully supported and partially supported. For a given temperature, the degree of post-impact strength degradation increased with increasing impact velocity, and was greater in a partially supported configuration than in a fully supported one. The elevated-temperature FOD resistance of the composite, particularly under partially supported loading at higher impact velocities greater than or equal to 350 meters per second, was significantly less than the ambient-temperature counterpart, attributed to a weakening effect of the composite. For fully supported loading, frontal contact stress played a major role in generating composite damage; whereas, for partially supported loading, both frontal contact and backside bending stresses were combined sources of damage generation. The SiC/SiC composite was able to survive higher energy impacts without complete structural failure but suffered more strength affecting damage from low energy impacts than AS800 and SN282 silicon nitrides.

Bhatt, Ramakrishna T.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Gas Hydrate Saturation Estimation Form Acoustic Log Data in the 2018 Alaska North Slope Hydrate-01 Stratigraphic Test

Completed in December 2018, the Alaska North Slope Hydrate 01 stratigraphic test well provides a wealth of logging-while-drilling (LWD) data for strata to below the base of gas hydrate stability (BGHS). This well is intended to be the first of three wells drilled for a comprehensive long-term gas hydrate production test conducted by the National Energy Technology Laboratory, the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The Hydrate 01 stratigraphic test well confirmed the presence of gas hydrate in two sand reservoirs within the hydrate stability zone, indicating the suitability of this location for a long-term gas hydrate production test.<p>The USGS, using an effective-medium-theory rock-physics approach, has estimated gas hydrate saturations from compressional (P) and shear (S) wave log data acquired in the Hydrate 01 well. We assume that gas hydrate occurs as pore-filling load-bearing material (i.e., part of the grain matrix). For Unit D, approximately 500 feet above the BGHS, both P-wave and S-wave acoustic logs indicate moderate gas hydrate saturations with S-wave results slightly lower than those for P-waves. For the Unit B, located just above the BGHS, we obtain moderate to high gas hydrate saturation estimates from both sonic logs. Our P-wave saturation estimates agree well with results from electrical-resistivity-based estimates, whereas estimates from nuclear magnetic resonance LWD data generally suggest 5 to 10 percent higher saturations; our S-wave results suggest lower saturations. These differences likely indicate complexities in the form of gas hydrate occurrence within the sediment pore space, potentially including differences between hydrate occurrence in Units D and B.</p>

Haines, Seth↗