DEVELOPMENT OF PLUTONIUM-BEARING FUEL MATERIALS. Progress Report, October 1-December 31, 1961

Technical Report · Wed Oct 31 04:00:00 EST 1962

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4797591· OSTI ID:4797591

Continued effort is reported on preparation and characterization of PuO/ sub 2/ and UO/sub 2/-- PuO/sub 2/ mixtures. Sintering and characterization of pellets for irradiation tests was emphasized, and efforts were also devoted to plasma torch production of spherical PuO /sub 2/ and coating of oxide materials. PuO/sub 2/ produced by the oxalate process from low concentration feed contains agglomerates which are not readily broken down, while that produced from normal feed contains larger agglomerates which are easily dispersed ultrasonically, and are more easily calcined. The water filtration method for determining total porosity of powders was adapted for use with PuO/sub 2/. Moisture pickup studies show that the problems encountered with PuO/sub 2/ are similar to those found in handling ceramic-grade UO/. Reproducibility tests carried out on UO/sub 2/--PuO/ sub 2/ mixtures indicate that production methods are satisfactory. Lab-scale experiments on production of PuO/sub 2/-- UO/sub 2/feed for the plasma torch indicate that further work is worthwhile. Adaptation of a potentiometric filtration for Pu is reported. A twophase microstructure found in PuO/ after sintering in N6% H atmosphere was identified as PuO/sub 2/ and cubic Pu/sub 2/O/ sub 3/. Spherical particles were produced in the plasma torch using crushed or preformed high-fired particles. Spherical particles of PuO/sub 2/ were also produced by a multi-step process of drying, pressing, granulation, sizing, shaping, and sintering. Reactor physics studies were continued to determine the effect of cross section assumptions on the calculated behavior of Pu-fueled near- thermal reactor systems. It was concluded that relatively long core life (reactivity limiting) is attainable with these systems. (J.R.D.)

• Research Organization: Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp., Apollo, Penna.
• NSA Number: NSA-16-012656
• OSTI ID: 4797591
• Report Number(s): NUMEC-P-90
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BURNUP
CALCINATION
CERAMICS
COATING
CROSS SECTIONS
DISPERSIONS
EQUATIONS
FABRICATION
FILTERS
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUELS
GRAIN SIZE
HUMIDITY
INERT GASES
IRRADIATION
LATTICES
MATERIALS TESTING
MEASURED VALUES
METALLOGRAPHY
METALLURGY
NEUTRON FLUX
NITROGEN
OXALATES
OXIDES
PELLETS
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
POROSITY
POWDERS
PRODUCTION
PYROLYSIS
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REACTORS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SINTERING
SPHERES
THERMAL NEUTRONS
ULTRASONICS
URANIUM DIOXIDE
WATER