HIP Furnace High Temperature Load Basket Replacement

The Nuclear AMRC's hot isostatic press (HIP) recently suffered a catastrophic failure during a routine commercial furnace cycle owing to an improper combination of materials supplied by the client. As a result sections of the molybdenum load basket assembly were damaged beyond repair. The molybdenum load baskets are required for operation of the furnace up to its maximum operating temperature of 1450°C. Without them, the furnace is limited to 1200°C, which precludes the processing of materials such a refractory metals (e.g. tungsten) which are an important area for nuclear manufacturing research.