The Use of Additive Manufacturing for Fabrication of Radiation Sources in Nuclear Forensics Applications

Abstract

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) has been employed to create modular sphere components using surrogate zirconia feedstock encapsulated within an Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) shell to prove the capabilities of creating a versatile and traceable radiation source. These identical parts can be mounted on an internal scaffold to form a hollow sphere, radiologically mimicking large amounts of nuclear material in a solid structure. This can be used for the testing of radiation detection systems using methods with fewer concerns required for criticality control measures. The novel design of the spherical part enables it to be printed with no supports, cutting down on material waste and decreasing print times. Additionally, the enclosed active material and the modularity allows for the reconfiguration of the sphere into various combinations of radiation sources without direct exposure to radioactive materials. Additive manufacturing has been shown to create fast-prototyping, safe, cost-effective, and customizable radiation source, compared to conventional manufacturing of potential radiation sources.