THE POWDER METALLURGY OF PLUTONIUM FUEL MATERIALS
Technical Report
·
OSTI ID:4001447
Hypostoichiometric plutonium monocarbide, containing about 20% plutonium sesquicarbide, and single-phase stoichiometric plutonium sesquicarbide were prepared by powder metallurgical techniques. The monocarbide pellets from the first sintering at 1250 to 1450 deg C were of low density (10.5 g/cm)). Further sintering of ground and repressed pellets resulted in pellet densities up to 13.1 g/cm/sup 3/ (96% of theoretical) for the monocarbide and 12.6 g/cm/sup 3/ (99% of theoretical) for the sesquicarbides. Arc melting of the sintered pellets produced buttons up to 99% of theoretical density and containing less than 5% impurity carbide phase. Hypostoichiometric uranium monocarbide-plutonium monocarbide solid solutions with no impurities detectable by x ray diffraction or metallography were prepared by these procedures. Pellet densities up to 12.8 g/ cm/sup 3/ (94.5% of theoretical) were obtained. Sintered cermets composed of plutonium dioxide dispersed in a matrix of molybdenum were prepared by powder metallurgical techniques with resulting densities up to 95.1% of theoretical density. The sinterability of mixtures of plutonium dioxide and molybdenum was determined over the entire composition range, pressing pressures of 40, 60, 80, and 100 tons per square inch, temperatures of 1200, 1400, and 1600 deg C, and sintering times of 3, 6, and 12 hours. Variation in density with pressing pressures exhibits a maxima near 80 tons per square inch. Of the three sintering temperatures studied, 1600 deg C yields the highest densities with the major portion of the sintering occurring in the first 3 hours. Additional heating for 9 hours increases the density up to an additional 8%, depending on the composition and pressing pressure. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N. Mex.
- NSA Number:
- NSA-15-019802
- OSTI ID:
- 4001447
- Report Number(s):
- TID-12562
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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