THE DEVELOPMENT OF CERAMIC FUELS AND FUEL ELEMENTS IN FRANCE (in French)
French work in the field of ceramic fuels has been concentrated mainly on uranium dioxide, which is produced on an industrial scale, and uranium monocarbide, for which a semi-industrial plant has just gone into operation. UO/ sub 2/ is produced by the well-known process of converting ammonium diuranate to UO/sub 2/, which is then reduced with H/ or cracked NH/sub 3/ to UO/sub 2/ with a stoichiometric ccmposition of approximates UO/sub 2.05/. If the process is carried out properly, the resulting UO/sub 2/ will have good sinter properties. The forming prior to final sintering is made either in tablet presses or by extrusion. There are two methods for producing uranium monocarbide: direct reduction of metallic uranium with carbon, which immediately yields a sintered product, or two-stage production from uranium oxide by means of reduction with carbon and smelting of the UC in an arc, or by electronic smelting. Ceramic fuel elements already in use in France and results of irradiation experiments are also described. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires, Saclay, France
- NSA Number:
- NSA-16-015134
- OSTI ID:
- 4796656
- Journal Information:
- Atompraxis (West Germany) Incorporated in Kerntechnik, Vol. Vol: 8; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-62
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- French
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