Oak Ridge National Laboratory and A.J. Tuck Company Develop Weld-Free Nuclear Reactor Components
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), in partnership with A.J. Tuck Company, has developed a novel method for producing seamless nickel containers, known as HIP cans, for nuclear reactor components. This innovative process involves 3D printing a plastic mold in the exact shape of the desired component, which is then placed in an electrolyte bath. Through electroforming, a dense nickel shell, approximately 2 to 3 millimeters thick, grows around the plastic mold. Subsequently, acid is used to dissolve the plastic from the interior, leaving a hollow nickel can with no welds. These weld-free cans are then filled with metal powder, sealed, and subjected to hot isostatic pressing (HIP) to form a solid metal part. This method directly addresses a critical failure point in traditional HIP can manufacturing, which relies on welding multiple pieces together, creating potential leak sites. In the initial phase, the team successfully produced five leak-free cylindrical cans, one of which was used to consolidate a 15.7... 
