Direct fabrication of /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ fuel forms
The current process for the fabrication of /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/ heat sources includes precipitation of small particle plutonium oxalate crystals (4 to 6 ..mu..m diameter), a calcination to PuO/sub 2/, ball milling, cold pressing, granulation (60 to 125 ..mu..m), and granule sintering prior to hot pressing the fuel pellet. A new two-step direct-strike Pu(III) oxalate precipitation method which yields mainly large well-developed rosettes (50 to 100 ..mu..m diameter) has been demonstrated in the laboratory and in the plant. These large rosettes are formed by agglomeration of small (2 to 4 ..mu..m) crystals, and after calcining and sintering, were directly hot pressed into fuel forms, thus eliminating several of the powder conditioning steps. Conditions for direct hot pressing of the large heat-treated rosettes were determined and a full-scale General Purpose Heat Source pellet was fabricated. The pellet had the desired granule-type microstructure to provide dimensional stability at high temperature. 27 figures.
- Research Organization:
- Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC09-76SR00001
- OSTI ID:
- 6743143
- Report Number(s):
- DP-1621; ON: DE83001658
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
PLUTONIUM DIOXIDE
FABRICATION
RADIOISOTOPE HEAT SOURCES
FUEL PELLETS
HOT PRESSING
OXALATES
PLUTONIUM 238
PRECIPITATION
THERMOELECTRIC GENERATORS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CHALCOGENIDES
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAT SOURCES
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS WORKING
NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PELLETS
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
PRESSING
RADIOISOTOPES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
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