Technology Licensing Opportunity: Moltenclad

Read the official notice on SAM.gov

Summary from the notice

Protective Metallic Coatings via Electrodeposition MoltenClad delivers a first-of-its-kind capability to deposit dense, uniform metallic coatings onto nuclear fuel pellets using molten salt electrodeposition. Unlike line-of-sight methods that leave gaps in coverage, electrodeposition surrounds the entire fuel surface with a protective barrier in a single process step. The technique, developed by scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory, is compatible with a range of refractory metals and salt chemistries, allowing coating properties to be tuned for specific operating environments. For organizations developing advanced reactor fuels or accident-tolerant fuel concepts, MoltenClad offers a scalable and adaptable coating platform that addresses longstanding manufacturing gaps in the nuclear fuel supply chain. The Challenge Extreme temperatures, corrosive fission products and intense neutron radiation inside nuclear reactors degrade fuel materials over time, limiting operational lifetimes and creating safety risks during accident scenarios. Applying a protective metallic layer to fuel pellets is a well-recognized strategy for improving fuel durability, yet existing coating technologies fall short. Chemical vapor deposition and physical vapor deposition rely on line-of-sight processes, meaning only surfaces directly exposed to the vapor or plasma stream receive a coating. Dip coating and sputter coating introduce their own complications, including substrate leaching from incomp…

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