Preparation of nuclear fuel spheres by flotation-internal gelation

Patent · Tue May 05 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6531201

Haas, P A; Fowler, V L; Lloyd, M H

An internal gelation process is described for the preparation of nuclear fuels, comprising: moving a volume of hot perchloroethylene through a trough; directing droplets of a nuclear fuel solution into the moving volume of hot perchloroethylene. The droplets of nuclear fuel solution gel to form gelled spheres while the droplets are floating on the surface of the moving volume of perchloroethylene; dropping the resultant gelled spheres into a vertical column of perchloroethylene, wherein the gelled spheres of nuclear fuel age as a floating bed in the vertical column; and separating the aged gelled spheres of nuclear fuel from the perchloroethylene.

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC
• Patent Number(s): US 4663093
• OSTI ID: 6531201
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050700* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Fuels Production & Properties
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ALKENES
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
DROPLETS
ENERGY SOURCES
ETHYLENE
FLOTATION
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL SPHERES
FUELS
GELATION
HYDROCARBONS
MATERIALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SYNTHESIS