Process for the preparation of uranium monocarbide-plutonium monocarbide fuel elements

摘要

954,821. Fuel material. UNITED KINGDOM ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY. March 27,1963 [April 2,1962], No. 12515/62. Heading G6C. A process for manufacturing a uranium monocarbide-plutonium monocarbide alloy comprises mixing together powders of uranium, carbon and plutonium monocarbide, cold compacting them, and rapidly heating the compacts by placing them in a furnace at a temperature of 1,000 to 1,300‹C. The heat generated by the reaction of the uranium and carbon will ensure that the melting point of the uranium (1, 125‹C.) will be exceeded, the reaction thereafter proceeding in the liquid phase, accompanied by sintering of the constituents. Preferred particle sizes are:- Uranium: Below 50 microns Carbon: Below 1 micron Plutonium monocarbide: Between 152 and 425 microns. The cold compacted pellets are placed in molybdenum containers which are loaded into a hot furnace. The furnace atmosphere may be argon circulated over a tantalum getter to reduce the oxygen content to less than 10 p.p.m. Alternatively, a vacuum furnace may be used. Specification 914,153 is referred to.