Characterization of commercial thorium oxide powders (AWBA development program)

Technical Report · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:5867807

Burke, T J

The chemical and physical characteristics of three thoria powders obtained from commercial vendors were compared with Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) powder specification requirements and a representative LWBR thoria powder lot to determine the suitability of currently available thoria powders for the manufacture of high density breeder reactor fuel. Two of the three vendor powders showed fabrication characteristics essentially equivalent to the LWBR thoria powder lot and could be used to fabricate high density, crack-free LWBR blanket-type thoria pellets using the modified LWBR/AWBA micronize-press-sinter fabrication route. The inability to fabricate acceptable pellets with the third vendor power was attributed to the high as-received surface area of the powder.

• Research Organization: Bettis Atomic Power Lab., West Mifflin, PA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC11-76PN00014
• OSTI ID: 5867807
• Report Number(s): WAPD-TM-1508; ON: DE83017663
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500* -- Power Reactors
Breeding
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360201 -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Preparation & Fabrication
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
BREEDER REACTORS
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
FABRICATION
FUEL PELLETS
LWBR TYPE REACTORS
MICROSTRUCTURE
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PELLETS
QUALITY ASSURANCE
REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
THORIUM COMPOUNDS
THORIUM OXIDES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS