b'L D R D S U C C E S S S T O R Y INL researchers successfully tested and installed a crystal growing system that will enable the growth of single crystal materials for production of specifically doped optical materials. The system will also facilitate the growth of bulk single crystal nuclear materials that can be used in more accurate thermophysical properties measurements that eliminate the convolution of phonon scattering. These highly specialized crystals can be incorporated into instruments to provide high-performance in-pile power measurement for nuclear reactors and accurate thermophysical property measurements to support modeling and simulation. INLs crystal growing system (left) and an exampleof the single crystal materials it produces (right).Developing new manufacturing capabilitiesF Y 2 0 I M PA C TINL is installing a large-scale, direct current spark plasma sinteringIn 2019, INL began using SPS to manufacture (SPS) machine. The 800-ton direct current sintering machineadvanced reactor fuels for NASAs nuclear thermal represents the worlds largest system of its kind and can processpropulsion program. INL additively manufactured nuclear various materials, including super hard ceramics that are difficult tofuel systems components using gadolinium-doped depleted scaleup and other rigid materials ideal for operations in harsh anduranium dioxide pellets for anti-hourglassing.extreme environments. When fully operational, this SPS machine will support discovery and experimental validation of first-principles phenomena to enable design and engineering through modeling and simulation. This system could revolutionize the production scale of specialized materials, enabling at-scale pieces to be manufactured affordably.Manufactured composite fuel forms for NASA using SPS.INLs DC-800 SPS machine, the worlds largest, will expand SPS capabilities into industrial-scale applications.15'