THE SINTERING BEHAVIOUR AND STABILITY OF (PuU)O$sub 2$ SOLID SOLUTIONS
The sintering behavior and stability in Ar, CO/sub 2/, and H at 1400 and 1650 deg C of (PuU)O/sub 2/ solid solutions and the stability during arc-melting in Ar were studied. The solid solutions of (PuU)O/sub 2/ were prepared by calcining co-precipitates of Pu(OH)/sub 4/ and ammonium diuranate (A.D.U.). The calcination temperature that produced the maximum density in pellets sintered in H varied with composition from about 800 deg C for the UO/sub 2/-rich powders to about 400 deg C for the PuO/sub 2/rich powders. Pellets prepared from (PuU)O/sub 2/ solid-solution powders generally sintered to a higher density in H than in Ar or CO/sub 2/ and pellets of 10 mole% PuO/sub 2/ had a higher density than those of UO/sub 2/ or 20 mole% PuO/sub 2/ sintered in a H atmosphere. Compositions in the range 0 to 20 mole% PuO/sub 2/ remained single-phase during H sintering and arcmelting, but compositions containing 40 mole% or more PuO/sub 2/, on cooling were transformed into two-phase mixtures, probably (PuU)O/sub 2/ and UO/sub 2/-- PuO/sub 1.62/ solid solutions. The observations are supported by x-ray powder diffractometric and metallographic examinations and by determinations of the O/Pu + U ratio. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, Berks, Eng.
- NSA Number:
- NSA-17-032634
- OSTI ID:
- 4669262
- Report Number(s):
- AERE-R-3900
- Journal Information:
- Trans. Brit. Ceram. Soc., Journal Name: Trans. Brit. Ceram. Soc. Vol. Vol: 62
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Method of making stable UO/sub 2/ fuel pellets
Study of the U{sub 3}O{sub 8} effect on MOX fuel sintering mechanisms
Related Subjects
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ARGON
CALCINATION
CARBON DIOXIDE
DENSITY
DIFFRACTION
ELECTRIC ARCS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROGEN
MELTING
METALLOGRAPHY
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
PELLETS
PLUTONIUM HYDROXIDES
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
PRECIPITATION
PREPARATION
PYROLYSIS
SINTERING
SOLID SOLUTIONS
STABILITY
URANATES
URANIUM OXIDES
X RADIATION