Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
2003 International RERTR Meeting

RERTR-RELATED PROGRAM IN INDONESIA

Asmedi Suripto, Sigit, Abdul Mutalib, Adiwardoyo

National Nuclear Energy Agency of Indonesia (BATAN)

Kawasan PUSPIPTEK, Serpong 15310, Indonesia

Supardjo

PT BATAN Teknologi

Kawasan PUSPIPTEK, Serpong 15310, Indonesia

ABSTRACT

The RERTR-related program has been underway since 1989. It was commenced with the experiment to synthesize and characterize own-produced U₃Si₂ ingot. The work was conducted with the assistance of the IAEA through a technical assistance program starting in 1989 and ceased in 1995. Under the Agency’s technical assistance program came a German and several US experts providing direct assistance and supervision. The program had successfully brought Indonesia to such a capability to produce U₃Si₂ fuel elements and ultimately insert some U₃Si₂ fuel elements in 1991 which then were subjected to a successful post-irradiation examinations (PIE) three years later. Another achievement was the conversion of the whole 30 MW RSG-GAS reactor core from using U₃O₈ fuel elements into using completely U₃Si₂ fuel elements domestically produced (Aug. 1999).

Since November 1994, BATAN and the University of Chicago (Operator of ANL) had come to an agreement to cooperate in the development of LEU target for Mo-99 production using uranium metal foil. The cooperation, until 2001 had proved that the metal foil target could be used successfully to substitute HEU oxide target now being used utilizing very similar geometrical external design. Having such design, the radioisotope producer would be expected not to suffer penalty with the necessity to change the rest of the processing hardware. The cooperation had also resulted in the improvements of the separation chemistry of the foil, the metallurgy of the foil as well as the cladding materials. However, the activities of the cooperation was unfortunately suspended until now pending the improvement of the world situation in the aftermath of the September 11 atrocity.

The post-tragedy activities on the subject are still going on, including experiments on the synthesis of U-Mo advanced fuel. This paper reports briefly the progress of the RERTR-related activities in Indonesia.

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