| Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Inconel 617 for High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)Small modular reactors (SMRs) based on high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) technology produce low CO2 emissions per unit of energy, are easy to manufacture, and reduce financial risk due to their small size and modular design. HTGR-SMRs operate at elevated temperature conditions (above 750°C); therefore, their components should be manufactured using materials that demonstrate high strength, corrosion resistance, and creep resistance at high temperatures, such as Inconel 617 (IN617). Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF), an advanced additive manufacturing (AM) process, is employed to fabricate complex IN617 structures for the rapid production of HTGR-SMR modules, offering a significant reduction in material waste compared to traditional manufacturing methods (e.g., casting). However, the rapid heating and cooling rates in L-PBF can lead to metallurgical defects, such as hot cracking, alloy segregation, and undesirable phase formation, that affect the mechanical properties of parts produced. To mitigate these metallurgical defects, it is important to determine the optimum L-PBF process parameters to generate a stable microstructure and enhanced mechanical properties. This work presents a preliminary analysis of high-density IN617 samples fabricated using the L-PBF process. These samples were successfully produced under different process parameters, covering a wide range of laser energy density to identify the optimum energy required for complete melting. Density measurements and microstructural analysis were conducted using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Finally, the study outlines future work needed to achieve full optimization of fabrication parameters for producing critical components for HTGR-SMRs that operate under extreme environmental conditions.T06-Q10 University of Alberta | Activity | 2025-03-04 | | T06-Q10 |