Additive manufacturing of complex objects using refractory matrix materials

A method for manufacturing an integral nuclear fuel element, the method comprising:

• providing a first powder feedstock of silicon carbide;
• binder-jet printing a fuel envelope by selectively depositing a binder onto successive layers of the first powder feedstock, the fuel envelope being rigid and of greater than 30% by weight of silicon carbide, wherein the fuel envelope has an outer sidewall, one or more inner sidewalls, a base and a cap that define therebetween an internal fuel cavity, the internal fuel cavity being accessible through one or more openings in the cap, and wherein the one or more inner sidewalls surround a cooling channel that interconnects the base with the cap;
• filling the internal fuel cavity by introducing nuclear fuel particles through the one or more openings and subsequently introducing a second powder feedstock of silicon carbide through the one or more openings, the second powder feedstock of silicon carbide being interposed between the nuclear fuel particles within the internal fuel cavity;
• positioning the fuel envelope having its internal fuel cavity filled with the nuclear fuel particles and the second feedstock of silicon carbide within a chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) reactor and introducing within the CVI reactor a precursor gas including silicon and a hydrocarbon while at an elevated temperature to densify the fuel envelope to a content of silicon carbide of greater than 85% by weight and to hermetically seal the nuclear fuel particles within the internal fuel cavity of the densified fuel envelope to obtain the integral nuclear fuel element with a content of silicon carbide of less than 25% by volume.