| AVS 66th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Actinides and Rare Earths Focus Topic | Monday Sessions |
| Session AC-MoA |
| Session: | Early Career Scientists |
| Presenter: | Zachary Brounstein, Los Alamos National Laboratory |
| Authors: | Z.R. Brounstein, Los Alamos National Laboratory E. Murphy, Los Alamos National Laboratory J.H. Dumont, Los Alamos National Laboratory S.J. Talley, Los Alamos National Laboratory K.S. Lee, Los Alamos National Laboratory A. Labouriau, Los Alamos National Laboratory |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Ionizing radiation is of serious consideration in the nuclear industry because protecting workers and instrumentation is of utmost concern when operating equipment that emits potentially hazardous radiation. Currently, commercial products are readily used as protective barriers, but there are circumstances when these are less than ideal at providing optimal shielding against neutrons and gamma rays[1],[2]. As innovations to nuclear energy technologies continue to progress, developing new materials for radiation shielding grows in importance and need.
In the present work, we used an additive manufacturing (AM) technique known as Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) to create novel 3D printed materials for radiation shielding. FFF is a layered AM process whereby thermoplastic filaments are heated up to their melting point and extruded into cross-sections of the end product[3],[4]. Because FFF has the capability to create prototypes and end-use parts with fine resolution details and excellent strength-to-weight ratios, the technology is used throughout aerospace, automotive, and medical industries.
Difficulties in creating filaments for FFF arise from fabricating a homogeneous wire that has uniform thickness and a smooth surface. If a filament does not have these initial properties, then either the FFF process will not work or the end product will not be as desired. Creating a homogeneous wire proves more difficult when different base and filler materials are used in the fabrication process, however, this can be solved if the different materials are combined in a liquid solution. Creating a wire of uniform thickness relies heavily on the extrusion process, whereby the temperature and extrusion speed are controlled.
In this study, we have prepared homogeneous filaments with varying processing conditions such as the contribution of additives and the control of extrusion temperature and speed. Thus, we used FFF to create novel filaments to print sheets of customized materials for attenuating ionizing radiation. Irradiating the printed samples was performed at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center and the Gamma Irradiation Facility by bombarding the customized materials with neutrons and gamma rays, respectively.
References
1. McAlister, D.R., Gamma Ray Attenuation Properties of Common Shielding Materials. PG Research Foundation, Inc., 2018. Revision 6.1.
2. Shin, J.W., et al, Thermochimica Acta, 2014. 585: p. 5-9.
3. Guo, N. and M.C. Leu, Frontiers of Mechanical Engineering, 2013. 8(3): p. 215-243.
4. Srivatsan, T.S. et al, Additive Manufacturing: Innovations, Advances, and Applications. CRC Press. 2016. p. 1-48.