RAMPT - Refractory Alloy Additive Manufacturing Build Optimization (RAMPT-RAAMBO)

The Refractory Alloy Additive Manufacturing Build Optimization (RAAMBO) project has advanced the additive manufactured (AM) refractory alloys by developing methods and materials to generate propulsion and lunar nuclear surface power components with an integrated computational materials engineering, design, build, and testing approach for relevant high-temperature operating environments. Modernization of AM-optimized materials has revolutionized part production and performance, as demonstrated with commercial efforts and NASA development of the GRCop alloy series. Refractory metals are desirable due to their high melt temperature (Tm) and their ability to retain strength and hardness at elevated temperatures. Technology applications that benefit from AM refractory alloy include reaction control system (RCS) thrusters, space nuclear power and propulsion (SNP), upper stage engines, green propulsion catalysis, and hypersonic wing leading edges. RAAMBO has completed hardware components for AM refractory metals/alloys of Niobium (Nb), Molybdenum (Mo), and Tungsten (W) to meet extreme environment operational needs while simultaneously developing modern AM optimized and cost-effective Nb- compositions. Key technology development and maturation accomplished under the RAAMBO project included developing process parameters to design, build, inspect and test laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) AM propulsion components using Niobium alloy C103 and evaluating Mo-, W-, and Nb-based AM material compositions with ceramic dispersoids using L-PBF AM to improve printability, maintain or improve high-temperature mechanical properties, and minimize production costs. Other accomplishments included using integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) development to identify, evaluate, and optimize new Nb-based alloys systems for Additive Manufacturing that can serve as a replacement to C103, a new high temperature high vacuum load frame installed at GRC for high temperature mechanical testing and model prediction of AM process maps for new alloy compositions. This work aligned directly with NASA's Technology Roadmap for Propulsion Systems (TX01) in the focus areas of Chemical Space Propulsion (TX01.1), Electric Space Propulsion (TX01.2), and Advanced Propulsion (TX01.4). The work also aligned with NASA's Technology Roadmap for Materials, Structures, Mechanical Systems, and Manufacturing (TX12) in the focus areas of Materials (TX12.1) and Manufacturing (TX12.4).

RAAMBO benefits include AM-optimized refractory alloy compositions and processes to improve mechanical properties and manufacturing costs of components for reaction control systems (RCS), liquid rocket engines, green propulsion, nuclear systems, and hypersonics. Traditional manufacturing of refractory metals is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive due to the brittle behavior at room temperature, oxidation susceptibility, and feedstock cost/availability. AM has demonstrated the ability to generate complex geometry components from difficult materials, while also providing time and cost savings. Numerous opportunities exist to enable the printability, post-processing, material characterization, inspection, and testing of AM refractory metal components. The component designs that are AM-optimized will improve performance in extreme high-temperature environments while reducing mass, production risk, cost, and lead time. The first key benefit is the technology maturation to determine and develop the required process parameters to design, build, inspect and test additive manufactured propulsion components using Niobium-based alloy C103 and other refractory metals/alloys with L-PBF and LP-DED AM.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.