Appendix A - Alternative Cladding Technical Specification Request for Proposals

Appendix A – Technical Specification MITR HIP Can Study and Plate Feedstock Revision 0
Request for Proposal 964171
September 10, 2026
I.

GENERAL

A. Background

Battelle Memorial Institute, Pacific Northwest Division (Battelle), operator of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for the U.S. Department of Energy, is seeking a Contractor to Plate Fabrication components. The United States High Performance Research Reactor (USHPRR) project is focused on converting the few remaining research reactors in the United States to High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU). This conversion requires a new high density fuel form. The selected fuel is U-10Mo foils encapsulated into aluminum cladding. The cladding is diffusion bonded to the fuel foil with a hot isostatic process (HIP).
Currently the cladding is mechanically milled from aluminum sheets. Battelle is researching alternatives to produce these plates. Currently Battelle is exploring photochemically milled pockets (the plate can be laser or waterjet cut). Spark electro-discharge machined (EDM) pockets may be proposed, items 4-6 would cover the tooling needed for spark EDM. Laser pocket etching may also be proposed.
TABLE I Cladding (Intermediate Products)
Item No

Item
C66T03V0

Description
0.009" Pocket Plate

Material
6061-T6 Aluminum

Quantity

C66T02V0
C66T01V0

0.012" Pocket Plate
0.015" Pocket Plate
0.009" Pocket Plate
0.012" Pocket Plate
0.015" Pocket Plate

6061-T6 Aluminum
6061-T6 Aluminum
Tooling
Tooling
Tooling

B. Work Included

a. The Offeror shall perform the non-reoccurring engineering and tooling design required for items 4, 5, 6 if needed.
b. The Offeror shall produce first articles per Table 1 for Battelle evaluation. c. The Offeror may propose multiple production techniques for evaluation.

C. Hold Points

a. The Offeror shall present the tooling prior to first article fabrication, as required per Section II Products under Sub Section D – Submittals.

Appendix A – Technical Specification MITR HIP Can Study and Plate Feedstock Revision 0
Request for Proposal 964171
September 10, 2026

II. PRODUCTS

A. Intermediate Products

The Offeror shall ship Battelle intermediate product according to Table I. Each component shall be individually vacuum sealed and packaged per the associated drawings.

B. Applicable Codes, Procedures, and References

a. ISO/IEC Standard 17025:2017, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.