Can 3D Printed Tungsten Withstand Extreme Conditions in Nuclear Reactors?

In a nuclear fusion reactor, temperatures exceed 150 million degrees Celsius—more than ten times hotter than the core of the Sun. Tungsten, a rare metal, can endure such extreme temperatures, making it promising for use in nuclear reactors. However, the metal is expensive, hard, and brittle. To advance work with the tricky metal, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded a $1 million grant to researchers at Iowa State University to study the possibility of 3D printing tungsten parts for nuclear reactors. As we know, tungsten is a critical material for metal 3D printing, so the Iowa State research team should be one to watch.

The grant is part of a $36 million effort by the Energy Department’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), designed to promote energy-related research across the country. According to the US Energy Information Administration, 19 percent of electricity in the US is produced from nuclear power, but researcher Sougata Roy who received this grant sees huge potential for nuclear energy in the future. “One of the major things that excites me about this project is working with nuclear energy,” Roy said. “It’s the largest source of clean power in the United States. This emission-free electricity is important for the future.”

Sougata Roy, leader of the DREAM-TEAM

Roy is an Iowa State University assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and he will use additive manufacturing to make nuclear reactor shields and components with the grant funding. The professor calls his endeavor the DREAM-TEAM project: “Developing a Robust Ecosystem for Additive Manufacturing of Tungsten for Extreme Applications and Management.”