• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.2206-2214
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• 2023

The existing wet reconversion processes for the recovery of scraps generated in manufacturing of nuclear fuel are complex and require several unit operation steps. In this study, it is attempted to simplify the recovery process of high-quality fuel-grade UO₂ powder. A novel wet reconversion process for uranyl nitrate hexahydrate solution is suggested by using a newly developed pulsed fluidized bed reactor, and the resultant chemical characteristics are evaluated for the intermediate ammonium uranate hydrate product and subsequently converted UO₂ powder, as well as the compliance with nuclear fuel specifications and advantages over existing wet processes. The UO₂ powder obtained by the suggested process improved fuel pellet properties compared to those derived from the existing wet conversion processes. Powder performance tests revealed that the produced UO₂ powder satisfies all specifications required for fuel pellets, including the sintered density, increase in re-sintered density, and grain size. Therefore, the processes described herein can aid realizing a simplified manufacturing process for nuclear-grade UO₂ powders that can be used for nuclear power generation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.474.1-474.1
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• 2006

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.631-636
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• 1996

The powder characteristics of UO2 via AUC prepared by precipitation from a UN with AC soiution produced from nuclear fuel powder conversion plant and that of the existing facility were compared. Mean particle size of AUC powder was decreased and agglomerates were much occured in case of using the AC solution that that of the gases but other properties such as particle size distribution and shape of particle are thought to be similarly. In compaction of UO2 powder the breaking pressur of agglomerated UO2 powder and the sintered density of final UO2 pellet from AC solution were measured 1.45$\times$108 N/m2 and 10.52 g/cc, These values could be used in nuclear fuel powder fabrication process.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.72-78
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• 1994

Two kinds of $U_3Si$ powders and $U_3Si$ dispersed nuclear fuel meats have been prepared by conventional comminution process and a newly developed rotating disk atomization process. In contrast to angular shape and broad size distribution of the conventionally processed powder, the atomized powder was spherical and showed narrow size distribution. For the atomized powder, the heat treatment time for the formation of $U_3Si$ by a peritectoid reaction was reduced to about one tenth, thanks to microstructure refinement by rapid cooling of about 5$\times$104 K/s. The extruding pressure of atomized $U_3Si$ powder and Al powder mixture was lower than that of comminuted $U_3Si$ and Al powder mixture. The elongation of the atomization processed fuel meats was much higher than that of the comminution processed fuel meats and remained over 10% up to 80wt.% of $U_3Si$ powder fraction in the fuel meats. It appears therefore that the loading density of $U_3Si$ in fuel meat can be increased by using atomized $U_3Si$ powder. The atomized spherical particles were randomly distributed, while the comminuted particles with angular and longish shape were considerably aligned along the extrusion direction. Along the transverse direction of the extraction the electrical conductivity of the atomization processed fuel meats was appreciably higher than that of comminution processed fuel meats. This tendency became pronounced as $U_3Si$ content increased. Because the thermal conduction which is believed to be proportioned to the electrical conduction in the nuclear fuel meats occurs in radial direction, the atomization processed fuel can be better used in research reactors where high thermal conductivity is required.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
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• 1997.05b
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• pp.171-176
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• 1997

UO$_2$-Gd$_2$O$_3$fuel has been sintered to study the effect of powder property and sintering atmospheres on densification and microstructure. Three types of powders have been used; AUC-UO$_2$ powder and ADU-UO$_2$ powder were mixed with Gd$_2$O$_3$ Powder, and co-milled AUC-UO$_2$ and Gd$_2$O$_3$ powder. UO$_2$-(2, 5, 10)wt% Gd$_2$O$_3$pellets have been sintered at 168$0^{\circ}C$ for 4 hours in the mixture of H$_2$ and $CO_2$ gases, of which oxygen potential has been controlled by the ratio of $CO_2$ to H$_2$ gas. Densities of UO$_2$-Gd$_2$O$_3$ fuel pellets are quite dependent on powder types, and UO$_2$-Gd$_2$O$_3$ fuel using co-milled UO$_2$ powder yields the highest density. A long range homogeneity of Gd is determined by powder mixing. As the oxygen potential of sintered atmosphere increases, the sintered densities of UO$_2$-Gd$_2$O$_3$ pellets decrease but grain size increases. In addition, (U, Gd)O$_2$ solid solution becomes more homogeneous. The UO$_2$-Gd$_2$O$_3$fuel having adequate density and homogeneous microstructure can be fabricated by co-milling powder and by high oxygen potential.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.87-94
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• 2008

In order to investigate a nitriding process of spent oxide fuel and the subsequent change in thermal properties after nitriding, simulated spent fuel powder was converted into a nitride pellet with simulated fission product elements through a carbothermic reduction process. Nitriding rate of simulated spent fuel was decreased with increasing of the amount of fission products. Contents of Ba and Sr in simulated spent fuel were decreased after the carbothermic reduction process. The thermal conductivity of the nitride pellet was decreased by an addition of fission product element but was higher than that of the oxide fuel containing fission product elements.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.953-959
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• 1996

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.254-261
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• 2009

In this study, we investigated the unit process parameters in spherical $UO_2$ kernel preparation. Nearly perfect spherical $UO_3$ microspheres were obtained from the 0.6M of U-concentration in the broth solution, and the microstructure of the $UO_2$ kernel appeared the good results in the calcining, reducing, and sintering processes. For good sphericity, high density, suitable microstructure, and no-crack final $UO_2$ microspheres, the temperature control range in calcination process was $300{\sim}450^{\circ}C$, and the microstructure, the pore structure, and the density of $UO_2$ kernel could be controlled in this temperature range. Also, the concentration changes of the ageing solution in aging step were not effective factor in the gelation of the liquid droplets, but the temperature change of the ageing solution was very sensitive for the final ADU gel particles.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 2008

The influence of fission products' contents on the DUPIC fuel powder and pellet properties was experimentally evaluated using SIMFUEL as a surrogate for actual spent PWR fuel due to the high radioactivity of spent fuel. Pure $UO_2$ and SIMFUEL pellets with fission products equivalent to a burn-up of 35,000 MWd/tU and 60,000 MWd/tU were used as impurities in this study. The specific surface area of the powder milled after the OREOX treatment increased and resulted in sintered pellets with a theoretical density (TD) higher than 95%, regardless of the impurity contents. However, the grain size of the sintered pellets decreased with the increasing impurity contents. As a result of the dissolved oxides in $UO_2$ from the impurity groups, the specific surface area of the OREOX powder increased with an increase of the impurities. The grain size of the sintered pellets was significantly decreased by the metallic and oxide precipitates.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.128-139
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• 1998

The effect of UO$_2$ powder property and oxygen potential on characteristics of sintered UO$_2$-Gd$_2$O$_3$ fuel pellets has been investigated. Two types of powder, mixture of AUC-UO$_2$ and Gd$_2$O$_3$powders (type I) and mixture of ADU-UO$_2$ and Gd$_2$O$_3$powders (type II), have been prepared, pressed, and sintered at 168$0^{\circ}C$ for 4 hours. Four sintering atmospheres with different mixing ratios of $CO_2$to H$_2$ gas ranging from 0 to 0.3 have been used. UO$_2$-Gd$_2$O$_3$ fuel has lower sintered density than UO$_2$ fuel, and the density drop is larger for powder type I than for powder type II. As the oxygen potential increases, the sintered density of UO$_2$-2wt% Gd$_2$O$_3$pellets increases but that of UO$_2$-10wt% Gd$_2$O$_3$ pellets decreases. It is found that pores are newly formed in UO$_2$-10wt% Gd$_2$O$_3$ pellets in accordance with the decrease in density. The grain size of UO$_2$-Gd$_2$O$_3$ fuel increases and a short range G4 distribution becomes homogeneous as the oxygen potential increases. A long range ed distribution and grain structure are inhomogeneous for powder type II. The lattice parameter of (U,Gd)O$_2$solid solution decreases linearly with Gd$_2$O$_3$ content. The dependence of UO$_2$-Gd$_2$O$_3$fuel characteristics on powder type and sintering atmosphere have been discussed.