The Hot-Pressing Behavior of Sintered Low-Density Pellets of UO₂, Zr0₂, ThO₂, and Tho₂-UO₂ (LWBR Development Program)

Technical Report · Thu May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1969

OSTI ID:6743212

Kaufman, S F

The out-of-pile hot-pressing behavior of sintered low-density oxide fuel pellets of UO₂, ZrO₂, ThO/sub 2/, and ThO/sub 2/-UO/sub 2/ was investigated over a temperature range of 1600 to 2150/sup 0/C to obtain supplemental creep data for use in predicting the pore closure rates during irradiation. The results obtained correlated well with results of out-of-pile compression creep tests performed on dense pellets. For the UO/sub 2/-ZrO/sub 2/ compositions, strain rates computed from porosity changes varied linearly with the applied stress and agreed with compression creep data within a factor of three. Test results on UO/sub 2/ were limited, but more extensive results on ThO/sub 2/ and ThO/sub 2/-UO/sub 2/ compositions showed a transitional, stress-dependent behavior in agreement with compression creep data. Quantitatively, the hot-pressing data for ThO/sub 2/-UO/sub 2/ compositions did not agree with compression creep data as well as the hot-pressing data for the UO/sub 2/-ZrO/sub 2/ compositions and were generally much lower at higher temperatures. Changes in stoichiometry to a hypostoichiometric state resulting from use of the carbonaceous atmosphere are believed to be responsible for the lower observed creep rates. (NSA 23: 41728)

• Research Organization: Bettis Atomic Power Lab. (BAPL), Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-GEN-14
• OSTI ID: 6743212
• Report Number(s): WAPD-TM-751
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
FUEL PELLETS
FABRICATION
THORIUM OXIDES
HOT PRESSING
URANIUM DIOXIDE
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES
CREEP
LWBR TYPE REACTORS
SINTERING
STRAINS
VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
BREEDER REACTORS
CHALCOGENIDES
MATERIALS WORKING
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PELLETS
PRESSING
REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
THORIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM OXIDES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS
050700* - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties
360200 - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories
210500 - Power Reactors
Breeding