Categorical Exclusion Determination
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
July 12, 2017
Estimated Read Time min
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), in collaboration with Process Equipment Company and the University of Tennessee, proposes to examine the feasibility for using capacitor-discharge resistance welding to join samples of 14YWT and MA956 alloys. The project will involve performing welding experiments and process monitoring to develop a welding process with the high reliability necessary for nuclear applications. Proton and iron ion irradiation will be performed to compare and contrast radiation effects on the microstructures of weld and base metal regions of select 14YWT and MA956 samples. Characterization and testing of welded and welded/irradiated samples will be conducted to reveal changes in welded and welded/irradiated structures and properties that may impact performance of 14YWT and oxide dispersion strengthened alloys in cladding applications.