HOT-PRESSING STUDY ON MIXED URANIUM-PLUTONIUM NITRIDE FOR ADVANCED REACTOR FUEL

摘要

The hot-pressing characteristics of mixed (U,Pu)N for advanced reactor fuel were studied in order to provide a better insight into the densification process and thus improve fuel fabrication technique.nA detailed experimental procedure for continuous measure¬ment of densification and an analog computer circuit to simu¬late hot-pressing are presented.nMixed (U,Pu)N of 99% density was fabricated at 4000 psi (28 MPa) and 1450°C, and 94% density was obtained with 3000 psi (21 MPa) at 1450°C. A digital computer program for the densi¬fication process was also written to analyze and predict the density of the pellet at any given time or at different applied pressures than those actually tested.