About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
2026 Technical Division Student Poster Contest
|
| Presentation Title |
SPU-28: Optimization of Post-Processing Conditions for 3D Printed Uranium Dioxide Parts |
| Author(s) |
Avik Bakshi, Nikolaos Kotsios, Taylor Spengen, Anil Prasad |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Avik Bakshi |
| Abstract Scope |
Conventional uranium dioxide (UO2) fuel design has worked well over the past decades of operation but is limited by poor heat transfer, primarily due to the low thermal conductivity of ceramic UO₂ arranged in a cylindrical geometry. This creates temperature gradients during reactor operation, constraining safe operating conditions and reducing accident tolerance. This challenge has driven efforts to develop advanced fuel designs that enhance heat transfer. However, such shapes are difficult to fabricate using conventional pressing and sintering methods. Additive Manufacturing (AM) enables the fabrication of complex fuel geometries to overcome these limitations. This work demonstrates the feasibility of 3D printing UO₂ components using Fused-Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology. Additionally, post-printing challenges are addressed by examining debinding and evaluating getter effectiveness in preventing oxidation and preserving structural integrity during thermal treatment. These findings provide insights for developing reliable post-printing conditions to enable fabrication of advanced UO₂ fuel designs using FDM technology. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Undecided |
| Keywords |
Additive Manufacturing, Nuclear Materials, Ceramics |