PREPARATION OF URANIUM DIOXIDE FOR USE IN CERAMIC FUELS. PART I. BATCH PRECIPITATION OF AMMONIUM DIURANATE

Technical Report · Mon Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1958

OSTI ID:4261150

Bourns, W T; Watson, L C

BS>Experiments were made to determine a suitable method for making ammonium diuranate (ADu) which could be reduced in hydrogen to give a readily sinterable U0/sub 2/. The factors in precipitation with ammonium hydroxide which tended to give a readily sinterable powder were high ammonium hydroxide concentration, high temperature, high pH, and relatively fast addition of the hydroxide to the uranyl nitrate solution. Precipitation with gaseous ammonia gave a readily sinterable material under almost all conditions, but the UO/sub 2/ produced had to be sintered at a slower rate to prevent breaking of the pellets during sintering. Simple tapdensity and Blaine air-permeability tests made on either the ammonium diuranate or the uranium dioxide gave an indication of the sinterability of the material. Precipitation conditions are specified for production of ammonium diuranate powder, which when reduced, pressed and sintered, will give a sintered density above 10.4 g/cm/sup 3/ (95% of theoretical). (auth)

• Research Organization: Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Chalk River, Ont.
• NSA Number: NSA-13-010011
• OSTI ID: 4261150
• Report Number(s): CRCE-716(Pt.I); AECL-757
• Country of Publication: Canada
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACIDITY
AIR
AMMONIA
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
CERAMICS
DENSITY
FAILURES
HYDROGEN
HYDROXIDES
METALLURGY AND CERAMICS
PELLETS
POROSITY
POWDERS
PRECIPITATION
PREPARATION
REDUCTION
SINTERING
SOLUTIONS
TESTING
URANATES
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANYL NITRATES