Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
  • G21C—NUCLEAR REACTORS
  • G21C3/00—Reactor fuel elements and their assemblies; Selection of substances for use as reactor fuel elements
  • G21C3/42—Selection of substances for use as reactor fuel
  • G21C3/58—Solid reactor fuel Pellets made of fissile material
  • G21C3/62—Ceramic fuel
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C01B—NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
  • C01B32/00—Carbon; Compounds thereof
  • C01B32/90—Carbides
  • C01B32/914—Carbides of single elements
  • C01B32/928—Carbides of actinides
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C04—CEMENTS; CONCRETE; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES
  • C04B—LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
  • C04B35/00—Shaped ceramic products characterised by their composition; Ceramics compositions; Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products
  • C04B35/51—Shaped ceramic products characterised by their composition; Ceramics compositions; Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products based on compounds of actinides
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
  • G21C—NUCLEAR REACTORS
  • G21C3/00—Reactor fuel elements and their assemblies; Selection of substances for use as reactor fuel elements
  • G21C3/02—Fuel elements
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C01P—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
  • C01P2006/00—Physical properties of inorganic compounds
  • C01P2006/10—Solid density
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C01—INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C01P—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
  • C01P2006/00—Physical properties of inorganic compounds
  • C01P2006/80—Compositional purity
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E30/00—Energy generation of nuclear origin
  • Y02E30/30—Nuclear fission reactors
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S376/00—Induced nuclear reactions: processes, systems, and elements
  • Y10S376/90—Particular material or material shapes for fission reactors
  • Y10S376/901—Fuel

Definitions

• the UC-PuN mixture has substantial advantages over other mixed fuel compositions of uranium and plutonium.
• fuel elements of this type have a very high degree of purity owing to the existence of a single phase.
• they have good storage behavior and very good compatibility with stainless steel, thereby permitting the use of this material for the purpose of cladding said fuel elements.
• their face-centered cubic structure which is statically isotropic, endows them with very good resistance to thermal cycling.
• the said fuel elements are stable up to at least 1800 C. without loss of plutonium as a result of volatilization.
• the invention is directed to a method of preparation of fuel material consisting of a mixture of plutonium mononitride and uranium carbide, characterized in that plutonium mononitride is mixed with carbon and uranium hydried in suitable respective proportions for the purpose of fabricating uranium monocarbide and in that the mixture of plutonium mononitride and uranium monocarbide which is obtained is sintered under suitable conditions so as to obtain a density in the vicinity of theoretical density.
• the above reaction is performed in a single operation in said reaction mixture which is shaped after incorporation of 1% naphthalene and 0.5% nickel, at a temperature within the range of 1200 to 1700" C.
• the first mode of operation makes it possible to obtain fuel elements having a density which remains Within the range of 11.8 to 12.2.
• the said pellets are then homogenized in vacuo at a temperature within the range of 1300 to 1500 C. over a period of time which varies from 2 to 6 hours.
• This homogenization process is in fact a diffusion process which, under these conditions, is total;
• the said homogenized pellets are then ground, and the powder obtained has added to it 1% naphthalene (which serves as binder) and 0.5 nickel (which serves as sintering adjuvant);
• the said mixture is then compacted into pellets under a pressure of 8,000 to 15,000 bars;
• the said pellets which are thus produced to final dimensions are then sintered at a temperature within the range of 1200 to 15 00 C. under a pressure within the range of 10 to 10 millimeters of mercury over a period of time varying between 2 and 6 hours.
• a temperature within the range of 1200 to 15 00 C. under a pressure within the range of 10 to 10 millimeters of mercury over a period of time varying between 2 and 6 hours.
• an additional annealing treatment at a temperature of the order of 1600 C. for a period of time which can vary between 2 and 6 hours.
• Example I This example relates to a composition of fuel material containing 15% by weight of PuN.
• Example 11 Under the same conditions as in the previous example, a fuel material containing 15% PuN was fabricated from the following compounds:
• the density of the sintered pellets obtained was 12.5.
• Example III Under the same conditions as in Example I, a fuel material containing 12.37% PuN was fabricated from the following compounds:
• the sintered pellets obtained were then subjected to an annealing treatment at 1600 C. for a period of 4 hours.
• the density obtained was 12.9.
• Method of preparation of fuel material having a plutonium and uranium base for utilization in nuclear reactors the steps of mixing plutonium mononitride with carbon and uranium hydride in suitable respective proportions, heating the mixture and producing a mixture of plutonium mononitride and uranium monocarbide and sintering the mixture of plutonium mononitride and uranium monocarbide to a density in the vicinity of theo retical density.
• Method in accordance with claim 1 including the step of incorporating 1% naphthalene and 0.5% nickel in the mixture of plutonium mononitride and uranium monocarbide, said sintering being conducted at a temperature within the range of 1300 to 1700 C.
• Method for preparation of fuel material the steps of mixing ground plutonium mononitride, ground carbon and ground uranium hydride in suitable proportions to obtain the desired composition, compacting the powder thus obtained into pellets at a pressure within the range of 2,000 to 10,000 bars, homogenizing the pellets obtained by heating to a temperature Within the range of 1300 to 1500 C. for a period of time which varies between 2 and 6 hours, grinding said homogenized pellets after incorporation of 1% naphthalene and 0.5 nickel, compacting the powder thus obtained into pellets under a pressure within the range of 8,000 to 15,000 bars, and then sintering the pellets obtained at a temperature within the range of 1300 to 1500 C. under a pressure within the range of 10- to 10- mm. of mercury for a period of time which varies from 2 to 6 hours.
• Fuel material for breeder reactors consisting of a mixture of uranium monocarbide and plutonium mononitride.
• Fuel material for breeder reactors consisting of a mixture of uranium monocarbide and plutonium mononitride, said mixture comprising by weight from 2 to 25% plutonium nitride.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
• Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
• Powder Metallurgy (AREA)
• Inorganic Compounds Of Heavy Metals (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

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Cited By (2)

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Citations (4)

• 1963
  • 1963-11-05 FR FR952657A patent/FR1382249A/fr not_active Expired
• 1964
  • 1964-10-27 CH CH1389664A patent/CH427060A/fr unknown
  • 1964-10-27 US US406899A patent/US3309322A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1964-10-28 DK DK530364AA patent/DK114055B/da unknown
  • 1964-10-29 GB GB44229/64A patent/GB1064224A/en not_active Expired
  • 1964-10-29 LU LU47241A patent/LU47241A1/xx unknown
  • 1964-10-29 IL IL22351A patent/IL22351A/xx unknown
  • 1964-10-30 DE DEC34267A patent/DE1282537B/de active Pending
  • 1964-10-30 BE BE655111A patent/BE655111A/xx unknown
  • 1964-11-03 AT AT931964A patent/AT260373B/de active
  • 1964-11-04 SE SE13262/64A patent/SE312611B/xx unknown
  • 1964-11-04 ES ES0305658A patent/ES305658A1/es not_active Expired
  • 1964-11-04 NL NL646412798A patent/NL147563B/xx unknown
  • 1964-11-05 OA OA50549A patent/OA00470A/xx unknown

Patent Citations (4)

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