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U.S. Department of Energy
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PRODUCTION OF BLENDED OXIDE PELLETS (UO$sub 2$ - ThO$sub 2$) BY SINTERING IN AIR. Quarterly Report No. 3

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4822029
The sintering in air of UO/sub 3/-ThO/sub 2/ mixtures made it possible to obtain blends with a density exceeding 98% theoretical. These results were obtained both on pellets shaped by pressing and on extruded rods. Sintering U/ sub 3/O/sub 8/ -ThO/sub 2/ mixtures gave definitely inferior results both in air and in hydrogen. A trial sintering in a gas-heated industrial furnace was carried out successfully. Continuation of the gravimetric tests for determining the O/U ratio, as well as the examination by x-ray diffraction, confirmed the nonstoichiometry of blends sintered in air. Micrographical examination of a series of pellets showed the importance of the density crude'' on the structure or the sintered products. Observations were made of pellets sintered for 500 hr in hydrogen at l650 deg . (M.C.G.)
Research Organization:
Compagnie Industrielle des Combustibles Atomiques Frittes, Corbeville, par Orsay (Seine-et-Oise), France
NSA Number:
NSA-16-005683
OSTI ID:
4822029
Report Number(s):
EURAEC-115
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English