Materion Corporation has entered into a purchase agreement to supply beryllium and beryllium oxide materials for a nuclear microreactor test bed being developed by Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This test bed will support microreactor development, including the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Microreactor Applications Research Validation and Evaluation Project (MARVEL). The purchase agreement will commence in 2023.

MARVEL is an experimental sodium-pot potassium-cooled microreactor under construction that will test microreactor applications and control technologies. It will also test microreactor capabilities for a variety of electrical and nonelectrical applications, including water purification and low-grade heat production for district heating and greenhouse climate control.