FABRICATION OF URANIUM DIOXIDE FUEL ELEMENT SHAPES BY HYDROSTATIC PRESSING

Technical Report · Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1957

OSTI ID:4336877

Newkirk, Jr, H W; Anicetti, R J

Hydrostatic pressing equipment and techniques are described for fabricating uranium dioxide fuel element shapes such as rods, tubes, rings, and spheres. Shapes pressed from powder as the starting material possessed a minimum of density gradients, no pressure cracks, mechanical stability, low firing shrinkage, and high green and sintered densities. Compaction ratios on pressing were 1.8 to 1. Hydrostatic re-pressing of preformed shapes decreased firing shrinkage 1 to 4%, increased green densities 7 to 10%, and increased sintered densities 2 to 6%. Hydrostatic pressing techniques are discussed for cladding uranium dioxide fuel element shapes such as spheres and for fabricating lead rods and tubes for fuel element mock-up assemblies. (auth)

• Research Organization: General Electric Co. Hanford Atomic Products Operation, Richland, Wash.
• DOE Contract Number: W-31-109-ENG-52
• NSA Number: NSA-12-010067
• OSTI ID: 4336877
• Report Number(s): HW-51770
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CANNING-- CRACKS-- DEFORMATION-- DENSITY-- FABRICATION- - FUEL ELEMENTS-- HYDRAULICS-- MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-- MECHANICAL STRUCTURES-- PLANNING-- POWDERS-- PRESSURE-- REACTORS-- RODS-- SINTERED MATERIALS-- SINTERING-- SPHERES-- STABILITY-- TUBES-- URANIUM DIOXIDE-- VOLUME
CRACKS-- DEFORMATION-- DENSITY-- FABRICATION-- FUEL ELEMENTS-- HYDRAULICS- - MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-- MECHANICAL STRUCTURES-- MOCKUP-- PLANNING-- POWDERS-- PRESSURE-- REACTORS-- RODS-- SINTERED MATERIALS-- SINTERING-- SPHERES-- STABILITY- - TUBES-- URANIUM DIOXIDE-- VOLUME
CRACKS-- DEFORMATION-- DENSITY-- FABRICATION-- FUEL ELEMENTS-- HYDRAULICS-- LEAD-- MECHANICAL PROPERTI
PHYSICS