Additive manufacturing of composite neutron absorbing components
AssigneeUT-Battelle, LLC
InventorsDavid C. Anderson, Amelia M. Elliott, Bianca Haberl, Garrett E. Granroth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Collimators and other components for use in neutron scattering experiments or to provide neutron shielding in nuclear reactors or accelerator based neutron sources are produced by additive manufacturing from multiple different types of material, such as boron carbide (B4C), steel, isotopically enriched boron carbide (10B4C), and blends thereof.
Claims27
A method of additively manufacturing a composite neutron absorbing component with a binder jet 3D printer, the method comprising:
- repeatedly dispensing a first powder, having neutron absorbing characteristics, into layers to form a first portion of a powder bed on a build platform;
- repeatedly and selectively binding the layers of the first powder with binder to produce a first portion of the composite neutron absorbing component in the powder bed on the build platform;
- repeatedly dispensing a second powder, different from the first powder, into layers to form a second portion of a powder bed on a build platform;
- repeatedly and selectively binding the layers of the second powder with binder to produce a second portion of the composite neutron absorbing component in the powder bed on the build platform;
- curing the composite neutron absorbing component;
- and
- de-powdering the composite neutron absorbing component from the powder bed as a single composite neutron absorbing component with distinct portions made from different materials.
A method of additively manufacturing a composite neutron absorbing component, the method comprising:
- loading a plurality of different types of powder into a powder feed supply of a binder jet printer, wherein at least one of the plurality of different types of powders is a neutron absorbing powder having neutron absorbing characteristics;
- positioning a build platform of the binder jet printer;
- dispensing a portion of the plurality of different types of powder from the powder feed supply into a layer on a build platform;
- selectively depositing binder with a movable binder jet print head on the layer of powder on the build platform;
- repeating said positioning the build platform of the binder jet printer, said dispensing the powder from the powder feed supply into a layer on the build platform, and said selectively depositing binder with the movable binder jet print head on the layer of powder on the build platform to binder jet print a composite neutron absorbing component in a powder bed on the build platform;
- and
- de-powdering the composite neutron absorbing component from the powder bed.
An additively manufactured one-piece composite neutron absorbing component comprising:
- a first contiguous portion of material additively manufactured from a first type of neutron absorbing powder having a first set of neutron absorbing characteristics;
- a second contiguous portion of material, joined to the first contiguous portion of material, additively manufactured from a second, different, material having a second set of neutron absorbing characteristics, different from the first set of neutron absorbing characteristics.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.