Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
2002 International RERTR Meeting

DESCRIPTION OF ECRI (CNEA´S MTR FUEL FABRICATION PLANT)

Echenique, P., Fabro, J., Podestá, D., Restelli, M., Rossi, G., Alvarez, L., Adelfang, P.

CNEA, Fuel Department
Av. Libertador 8250, (1429) Buenos Aires, Argentina

ABSTRACT

The ECRI Plant is dedicated to the development and fabrication of high-density fuel elements and targets for ⁹⁹Mo.

In this sector had been done the start up Fuel Elements for the Reactors of Peru, Iran, Algeria and Egypt. All of them were made with U₃O₈. The targets for ⁹⁹Mo using HEU were fabricated too in the last years.

The new material of high-density for Fuel Elements as U₃Si₂ were done in this sector, three prototypes were fabricated, two are still under irradiation. (P06 and P07).

As new developments we are working with U-Mo (7%) Fuel Plates with both material Korean and HMD. This work is under the RERTR Program and two fuel elements, manufactured by us, with both powders, will be irradiated in Petten. 

For ⁹⁹Mo targets, we are fabricating miniplates of LUE with an AlUx powder by pulvi-metallurgy technique. And it is under development the foils targets under the RERTR Program.

A general view of the fabrication facilities and control sector will be shown. The different operations that are done in each sector will be explained.

All our activities will be certified under the ISO 9000 and we are working hard to get it in the middle of 2003. 

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