AVLIS modified direct denitration: UO{sub 3} powder evaluation

Technical Report · Tue Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/143970· OSTI ID:143970

Slagle, O D; Davis, N C; Parchen, L J

The evaluation study demonstrated that AVLIS-enriched uranium converted to UO{sub 3} can be used to prepare UO{sub 3} pellets having densities in the range required for commercial power reactor fuel. Specifically, the program has demonstrated that MDD (Modified Direct Denitration)-derived UO{sub 2} powders can be reduced to sinterable UO{sub 2} powder using reduction techniques that allow control of the final powder characteristics; the resulting UO{sub 2} powders can be processed/sintered using standard powder preparation and pellet fabrication techniques to yield pellets with densities greater than 96% TD; pellet microstructures appear similar to those of power reactor fuel, and because of the high final pellet densities, it is expected that they would remain stable during in-reactor operation; the results of the present study confirm the results of a similar study carried out in 1982 (Davis and Griffin 1992). The laboratory processes were selected on the basis that they could be scaled up to standard commercial fuel processing. However, larger scale testing may be required to establish techniques compatible with commercial fuel fabrication techniques.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 143970
• Report Number(s): PNL--8481; ON: DE94009005
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
FUEL PELLETS
PRODUCTION
REDUCTION
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM TRIOXIDE