Fast Breeder Test Reactor at Kalpakkam uses plutonium rich mixed uranium-plutonium carbide as driver fuel in the form of sintered cylindrical pellets encapsulated in stainless steel cladding tube. The process flowsheet followed for the fabrication of sintered pellets is well established and involves preparation of carbide clinkers by vacuum carbothermic reduction of oxide- graphite mixture followed by processing of crushed clinkers into sintered pellets by powder metallurgical route. The sintered pellets rejected due to physical defects only are crushed and oxidized before further processing into fuel pellets. The present paper highlights a direct processing approach for the fabrication of fuel pellets from sinter rejects. This process does not involve vacuum carbothermic reduction and offers many advantages including substantial reduction in radiation exposure to personnel.
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