FUEL ELEMENT COMPOSITION AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME

Patent · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1960

OSTI ID:4139357

A solid solution of PuO/sub 2/ in UO/sub 2/ is proposed for use as fuel for heterogeneous reactors, whether fast, intermediate, or slow. The advantages of such a fuel are its uniform composition, ease of fabrication, and ease of reprocessing after use. The mixture is prepared from UO/sub 2/(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/ and Fu(NO/sub 3/)/sub 4/ solutions mixed in the desi red uranium/plutonium ratio (giving 2 to 99 parts UO/sub 2/ to 1 part FuO/sub 2/) and precipitating the oxides by NH/sub 3/. The solid is calcined at 600 to 1000 deg C in H/sub 2/ for 1 to 2 hr to give a material ready for pelletization"or charging into a stainless- steel tube as an element. After approximately 50% burnup of the original plutonium, the mixture is readily dissolved in hot HNO/sub 3/ and subjected to solvent extraction methods of recovery. An example of preparation of the fuel is given together with the procedure for its pelletization. (D.L.C.)

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-14-025916
• OSTI ID: 4139357
• Report Number(s): GB 847013
• Country of Publication: United Kingdom
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AMMONIA
BURNUP
CALCINATION
DISTRIBUTION
FABRICATION
FUEL ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
NITRIC ACID
PATENT
PELLETS
PLUTONIUM NITRATES
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
PRECIPITATION
PREPARATION
PYROLYSIS
REACTORS
REPROCESSING
SOLID SOLUTIONS
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
STAINLESS STEELS
TUBES
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANYL NITRATES