Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
2005 International RERTR Meeting

DISPERSED (COATED PARTICLES) AND MONOLITHIC (ZIRCALLOY-4 CLADDING) U-Mo MINIPLATES

Enrique E. Pasqualini
Lab. Nanostructures. UACN
CNEA. Buenos Aires. Argentina

Abstract

Uranium 7% (w/w) molybdenum (U-7Mo) particles were coated with silicon base material. Chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of silane and high temperature contact diffusion (HTCD) of silicon processes were employed. Hydrided, milled and dehydrided (HMD) particles annealed and centrifugal atomized powder were coated and the results compared. Miniplates were elaborated with both kinds of particles.

A third type of miniplate was elaborated incorporating silicon powder in the initial blending of the U-7Mo and Al powders instead of using an alloyed aluminum powder.

Monolithic miniplates of U-7Mo with zircaloy-4 cladding were also fabricated by hot rolling. The different steps of this picture and frame process are detailed and the method is shown to be versatile, can be easily scaled up, is performed with small modifications of usual equipment in fuel plants and seams to be a possible alternative for high flux reactors conversion from HEU to LEU fuels.

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