DISSOLUTION OF UNIRRADIATED MECHANICALLY BLENDED, SOL GEL, AND COPRECIPITATED MIXED OXIDE FUEL

摘要

Statistical experiments were performed to determine the effects of various fuel fabrication conditions on the dissolution properties of nonirradiated mixed oxide fuel fabricated by the three candidate LMFBR fuel fabrication processes: mechanically blending, Sol Gel, and coprecipitation. Where fabrication conditions were directly comparable, coprecipitated fuel dissolved more completely than Sol Gel fuel which, in turn, dissolved more completely than mechanically blended fuel. The effect of voloxidation on dissolution of mechanically blended fuel was also investigated. The relationship between pellet homogeneity and fuel dissolution properties was investigated.