2017 | AFC ACCOMPLISHMENTS 16 The INL has a complete engineering scale extrusion line, capable of extruding bare uranium alloys on the kilogram scale. 1.4 SHOWCASE CAPABILITIES Engineering-scale Extrusion Laboratory for Metallic Fuels The most recent engineering scale transmutation fuel fabri- cation was the operation of EBR-II, in which all of the fuel was injection cast. More recently, fuel used for the AFC series of irradiation tests has also been cast. However, other methods of fabrication have been used for metallic fuel product as well, such as extrusion. Over the years much Figure 1. Installed engineering scale extrusion line. of the uranium extrusion capabilities within the DOE complex have been shut down and lost. Recently a 150 ton extrusion press as well as the needed support equipment has been installed and operated at the Idaho National Laboratory.This extrusion line will now allow engineering scale extru- sions to be performed on experimental uranium based metallic fuels. Project Description: The extrusion capability has been developed by leveraging funding from related programs.The extrusion line is made up of several discreet pieces of equipment; billet caster, CNC lathe, salt bath, extrusion press and run out table, draw bench, and a 4-die swager. The billet casting system is a vacuum induction melting system used to alloy and cast the desired billets for extrusion.The furnace has a maximum temperature of 1650°C and is attached to a molecular turbo vacuum pump. Billets to be cast are approximately 37 mm diameter and 150 mm in length are cast for extrusion, although depending on the mold other shapes and sizes are also possible.After casting the uranium alloy billet is machined to final length and diameter using a CNC lathe.After machining, the billet is heated to extrusion temperatures using a salt bath.The salt bath uses a lithium-potassium carbonate salt and can be heated to as high as 1000°C. After heating the billet is moved to the Butech-Bliss 150 ton extrusion press. Extruded diameters as small as approximately 6 mm have been extruded. Included in the engineering scale extrusion line is also a Fenn 10-8