DEVELOPMENT OF PLUTONIUM-BEARING FUEL MATERIALS. Monthly Progress Letter for Month of May 1962

Technical Report · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1962

OSTI ID:4816144

Puechl, K H

The effect of plutonium dioxide-uranium dioxide feed material characteristics on sinterability is determined. For this purpose, two continuous coprecipitation runs were completed. Sintering trials verify previously obtained results that high sintered densities cannot be achieved when the oxygen to uranium ratio is greater than 2.3. Studies were continued to assess mechanical sphere forming methods to provide appropriate feed for plasma fusion, swaging, and/or dispersion fuel element rolling. For the plutonium dioxide spheroidizing studies, trials were made employing a blend of plutonium dioxide powders prepared by oxalate precipitation from dilute plutonium nitrate solutions. The results showed that powder pretreated by wet ball milling yielded a better product than powder pretreated by agitation in a low-power ultrasonic field. Characterization of uranium dioxide powder prepared by peroxide and urea precipitation methods was continued to allow product evaluation prior to initiation of studies with plutonium dioxide. Results show that some of the smaller particles coalesced into larger aggregates during sintering. To allow direct chemical preparation of such feed materials, a glove box was outfitted and is now undergoing final leak testing. Peroxide and urea precipitations with plutonium will be made in this box utilizing as a basis the studies being made with uranium as a stand-in material. (N.W.R.)

• Research Organization: Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp., Apollo, Penna.
• NSA Number: NSA-16-027630
• OSTI ID: 4816144
• Report Number(s): NUMEC-P-42
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BEARINGS
DENSITY
DISPERSIONS
EFFICIENCY
EXTRUSION
FERTILE MATERIALS
FUEL ELEMENTS
GRAIN SIZE
IMPREGNATION
MATERIALS TESTING
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
MIXING
OXIDES
OXYGEN
PEROXIDES
PLANNING
PLASMA
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
POWDERS
POWER
PRECIPITATION
SINTERING
SOLUTIONS
SPHERES
SWAGING
ULTRASONICS
URANIUM
URANIUM DIOXIDE
UREA