Oak Ridge National Laboratory Preparation of Sintered 237NpO2 Pellets for Irradiation to Produce 238Pu Oxide
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
The reference flowsheet for production of 238Pu is by irradiation of targets containing pellets cold-pressed from a mix of NpO2 and Al, which are referred to as cermet pellets or compacts. Oxide pellets, cold-pressed from NpO2, are being considered because elimination of the aluminum constituent has significant advantages in a production operation. Details of a fabrication process to make NpO2 pellets, from preparation of neptunium oxide powder through sintering of the pressed pellets, are given. Pellets were prepared of required density and tight dimensional tolerance for fabrication of test targets that are currently being irradiated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory High Flux Isotope Reactor. This work is part of the effort to reestablish domestic production of 238Pu for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Department of Energy.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 1484146
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-2017/728
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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