Fabrication of ceramic fuel pellets for isotopic heat sources

Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982 · Am. Ceram. Soc. Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5876121

Rankin, D T; Congdon, J W; Duncan, N D; Livingston, J T

A production process was developed to fabricate cylindrical pellets for the GPHS. The process consists of hot-pressing a blended mixture of sintered /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ granules prepared from calcined plutonium oxalate powder. The product is a pellet of nominally 84.5% total density which generates 62.5 watts (thermal). Hot pressing and granule sintering conditions require close control to minimize surface and internal cracking and to permit ejection of the pellet from the hot press die. Uniform density and distribution of large intergranule porosity in the microstructure appear to contribute to the dimensional stability required at elevated temperatures and the mechanical ruggedness required for routine handling during production operations.

• Research Organization: E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., Inc., Savannah River Lab, Aiken, SC 29808
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• OSTI ID: 5876121
• Journal Information: Am. Ceram. Soc. Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Ceram. Soc. Bull.; (United States) Vol. 61:9; ISSN ACSBA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050700* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Fuels Production & Properties
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360201 -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Preparation & Fabrication
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CERAMICS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CRACKING
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DECOMPOSITION
DENSITY
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FABRICATION
FUEL PELLETS
HEAT SOURCES
HEAVY NUCLEI
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HOT PRESSING
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS WORKING
MICROSTRUCTURE
NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PELLETS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
POROSITY
PRESSING
PYROLYSIS
RADIOISOTOPES
SINTERING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES