Removal of iron and boron during fabrication of ceramic fuel pellets (LWBR Development Program)

Technical Report · Wed Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1966

OSTI ID:6747465

Crain, Jr, H H

An investigation was conducted on the volatilization of Fe and B contaminants from UO/sub 2/--ZrO/sub 2/ fuel pellets during sintering. Approximately 800 0.240-in. dia. pellets including high-density, thin-walled annular pellets, and low- and high-density solid pellets, were fabricated by the press-and-sinter method at various conditions. Two compositions, 28 wt % UO/sub 2/--ZrO/sub 2/ and 36 wt % UO/sub 2/--ZrO/sub 2/ were studied. B contamination, introduced as B/sub 4/C during comminution of the powder, is readily reduced from levels of 10 to 20 ppM to less than 0.5 ppM, even at sintering temperatures as low as 1350/sup 0/C for 12 hr. Fe contamination, also introduced during powder comminution, is reduced from 2000 to 3000 ppM in the powder to a level of 300 to 500 ppM in solid pellets and less than 300 ppM in thin-walled annular pellets by 1700 to 1750/sup 0/C sintering temperatures. (NSA 20: 33847)

• Research Organization: Bettis Atomic Power Lab., Pittsburgh, PA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-GEN-14
• OSTI ID: 6747465
• Report Number(s): WAPD-TM-582
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050700 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Fuels Production & Properties
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500* -- Power Reactors
Breeding
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
BORON
BREEDER REACTORS
CHALCOGENIDES
ELEMENTS
FABRICATION
FUEL PELLETS
IMPURITIES
IRON
LWBR TYPE REACTORS
METALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PELLETS
REACTORS
REMOVAL
SEMIMETALS
SINTERING
THERMAL REACTORS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM OXIDES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES