FABRICATION OF 10 WEIGHT PERCENT PLUTONIUM-ALUMINUM MONITORING FOILS AND PIN

摘要

This report describes the fabrication of a special 1GW/O plutonium-aluminum alloy pin enclosed in double aluminum cans and a number of nickel canned 10 w/o plutonium-aluminum alloy wafers for reactor physics studies.nThe fabrication techniques for the foils are described in detail:n(1) The casting of the alloy billet;n(2) Rolling;n( 3) Punching out wafers and the method of taking analytical samples;n(4) Measuring, weighing and bottling wafers;n(5) Can and lid fabrication;n(6) Tinning operation;n(7) Canning and spot welding;n(8) Leak testing;andn(9) Identification marking.nThe fabrication method for the pin includes the development of molds and casting techniques, radiographing, machining of the pin and segregation check, canning and welding of closure, and leak testing methods.nAll operations using bare Pu-Al alloys were carried out in either glove boxes or open-front hoods.