Critical lithium component production for US nuclear stockpile shifts to modular design

Engineers are designing a modular production unit to replace decades-old infrastructure used for lithium manufacturing in Tennessee. The National Nuclear Security Administration, an agency within the US Department of Energy, selected BWX Technologies to draft the engineering plans for the Y-12 National Security Complex. The US nuclear weapons stockpile depends on precision-machined lithium parts. However, the systems that handle them have run well past their designed service life. To keep the stockpile functional, technical teams must extract, purify, machine, and recycle this material without interruption. “This project represents an important investment in modernizing the nation’s nuclear security infrastructure and ensuring NNSA has the capabilities needed to support its mission well into the future,” said Heatherly Dukes, president of BWXT’s Technical Services Group. Handling lithium is challenging Handling lithium introduces severe engineering hurdles. The element reacts violently with moisture, corrodes rapidly in normal air, and poses an immediate fire hazard if exposed to humidity. Also, cutting and shaping it is hard because pure lithium is a soft metal. The planned Machining and Inspection Module will isolate these processes inside tightly controlled inert atmospheres. Inside the unit, computer-controlled tools must shape parts to microscopic tolerances while preventing any ambient air from entering the work envelope. Once parts are cut, technicians will use non-destructive sensors to inspect their internal density and geometry without touching the sensitive surfaces. Building this work into a self-contained module also keeps mechanical dust separate from the chemical recovery lines elsewhere on site. Under the current four-month arrangement, BWXT has received four million dollars to develop the initial designs. Another competing contractor has also received funds to submit an alternative plan. Once agency evaluators finish reviewing both designs at the end of the second phase, they will select one winner to negotiate the final construction deal. BWXT has assembled a technical team for the bid, including Edgewater Technical Associates, Evans General Contractors, Process Engineering Associates, and Merrick & Company. Running alongside another military assignment The project runs alongside another major military nuclear assignment awarded to the firm earlier this year. In August, the company won an award under the Janus program, an initiative set up by the US Army and the Defense Innovation Unit in October 2025. Janus aims to deploy transportable, resilient nuclear reactors to power critical military sites off the commercial grid. BWXT is supplying its Advanced Nuclear Reactor design for that project. The system uses high-temperature gas to deliver heat and electricity. Crucially, the reactor core runs on TRISO particle fuel, which packs uranium inside four concentric isotropic layers of carbon and silicon carbide. These microscopic ceramic coatings act as individual containment structures that withstand extreme temperatures without melting, eliminating the need for complex, active emergency coolant pumps. For the Janus contract, the company is currently determining a viable operating location at Fort Campbell, clearing safety regulations with the Army, and preparing to manufacture the ceramic fuel particles at its commercial plants. Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.An active and versatile journalist and news editor. He has covered regular and breaking news for several leading publications and news media, including The Hindu, Economic Times, Tomorrow Makers, and many more. Aman holds expertise in politics, travel, and tech news, especially in AI, advanced algorithms, and blockchain, with a strong curiosity about all things that fall under science and tech.