SBIR Phase II: Development of a Scalable, Reproducible Manufacturing Process for Lightweight, High-Temperature Neutron Shield

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是提高商业核电的安全性和降低成本。每年，全球轻质高温中子屏蔽市场约为1亿美元。更好的材料可以通过减少对安全壳内部件的辐射损害和电厂工作人员的辐射暴露来提高核电站运行的安全性。该项目为反应堆设计、电厂运行和乏燃料管理开发了一种高温、轻质中子屏蔽材料。该材料平台的竞争优势如下：1)它可以在比现有材料高50%（摄氏度）的温度下工作；2)它是可浇注的，而不需要挤压成型或加工；3)与目前的低温中子屏蔽材料相比，它在成本上具有竞争力。主要目标是为这种新材料开发一种可重复的、全面的制造工艺。这种新材料平台将通过减少与乏燃料管理和退役相关的费用来降低整个工厂的生命周期成本。这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目为核工业开发了一种高温、轻质中子屏蔽材料。拟议研究的具体目标是按工业规模扩大生产过程，具体目标如下：1)确定在固化前将纳米颗粒混合到液体树脂中的混合工艺；2)建立将催化剂均匀地混合到大体积零件的基础树脂中的混合工艺；3)通过设计大体积零件的模具和模具提取工艺确定产品成型工艺；4)确定生产的质量控制检查点；5)表征样品以确认材料性能。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is the improved safety and reduced cost of commercial nuclear power. The annual, global lightweight, high-temperature neutron shield market is approximately $100 million. Better materials can increase the safety of nuclear plant operations by reducing radiation damage to both in-containment components and radiation exposure to power plant workers. This project develops a high-temperature, lightweight neutron shield material for reactor design, power plant operations, and spent fuel management. This material platform's competitive advantages are the following: 1) it can operate at temperatures 50% higher (degrees C) than current materials 2) it is castable, instead of requiring extrusion molding or machining and 3) it is cost competitive with current low-temperature neutron shielding materials. The primary objective is to develop a reproducible, full-scale manufacturing process for this new material. This new material platform will reduce overall plant life cycle costs by reducing the expenses associated with spent fuel management and decommissioning. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project advances a high-temperature, lightweight neutron shielding material for the nuclear industry. Specific objectives for the proposed research to scale the production process for industrial volumes by the following: 1) determine a blending procedure for mixing nanoparticles into the liquid resin prior to curing, 2) establish a mixing process for evenly incorporating the catalyst into the base resin for large volume parts, 3) determine a product formation process by designing molds and the mold extraction process for the large volume parts, 4) determine quality control check points for production and 5) characterize samples to confirm material properties.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.