Blykalla and Bodycote in strategic collaboration to develop materials for nuclear component manufacturing

Stockholm, Sweden 

Blykalla and Bodycote in Strategic Collaboration to Develop Materials for Nuclear Component Manufacturing

Blykalla and Bodycote have entered a strategic collaboration to evaluate the use of Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) for manufacturing reactor components using Blykalla’s proprietary materials. The goal is to qualify advanced manufacturing routes that can withstand the conditions of a lead-cooled reactor environment.

Blykalla brings more than two decades of research into corrosion-tolerant steels designed for molten lead. Bodycote, the world’s leading provider of heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services, offers extensive expertise in HIP. With the largest operational HIP capacity in the Western world, Bodycote’s facility in Surahammar, Sweden, can support both serial production of small parts and large-scale nuclear components.

HIP is a manufacturing process that applies high temperature and isostatic gas pressure to eliminate porosity or bond metal powders into dense, complex parts. Its ability to support novel geometries and hybrid designs makes it particularly suited for components exposed to molten lead.

“Working with Bodycote allows us to explore more efficient, scalable manufacturing routes for our most critical components,” says Jacob Stedman, CEO at Blykalla. “Bodycote’s HIP capabilities are a strong match for the material performance demands of our SEALER technology. This collaboration strengthens our ability to build a robust and industrialised European supply chain, for advanced nuclear deployment in Sweden and beyond.”

“This project brings together complementary strengths,” says Ian Tough, Market Development Manager at Bodycote. “By combining Blykalla’s innovative reactor materials with our HIP expertise, we can accelerate the development of components that meet the demanding performance requirements of next-generation nuclear. We are proud to contribute to this important step forward in clean, secure energy.”

As part of the collaboration, Bodycote will lead the development and testing of HIP processes tailored to Blykalla’s materials — including designing test canisters, running HIP cycles, and documenting component properties. Blykalla will provide specifications and carry out corrosion and performance testing in molten lead environments. Together, the partners aim to establish HIP as a viable manufacturing path for future SEALER units.