About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T26: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Additively Manufactured Materials for Nuclear Energy
|
| Presentation Title |
Comparing Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of Compacted versus Binder Jet Printed and Sintered Zircaloy-4 Powder |
| Author(s) |
Lucas Raimondi, Thomas Kopasko, Pierangeli Rodriguez De Vecchis, Adam W Thompson, Jon P Ruffley, Zachary D. Harris, Markus Chmielus |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Lucas Raimondi |
| Abstract Scope |
Advanced manufacturing methods, such as powder metallurgy and additive manufacturing (AM), are becoming increasingly relevant for fabricating Zircaloy-4 components with complex geometries. The high reactivity of Zircaloy-4 powders poses significant challenges for laser-based AM; consequently, this study evaluates binder jet printing and powder compaction as viable alternatives. The objective of this study is to develop a fundamental understanding of the microstructural differences between compacted and binder-jet-printed sintered Zircaloy-4 coupons, and how these variations influence mechanical behavior. Zircaloy-4 powder was produced from wrought material via ball milling and characterized using laser diffraction and microscopy to determine morphology distributions. Specimens were prepared through mechanical compaction and binder jet printing, followed by a systematic sintering study varying atmosphere, temperature, and time. Each condition was analyzed to quantify microstructural and mechanical properties relative to wrought Zircaloy-4 benchmarks. |