Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
2002 International RERTR Meeting

SCALING UP THE PRODUCTION CAPACITY OF U-Mo POWDER  BY HMD PROCESS

E. E. Pasqualini, M. López, L. J. Helzel García, P. Echenique and P. Adelfang.

Dpto. Combustibles Nucleares. CAC y CAE.
Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica
Buenos Aires, Argentina

ABSTRACT

The recent discovery that uranium alloys in metastable gamma phase can be hydrided at low temperatures and pressures have allowed developing the method of comminuting bulk materials by milling the hydride to desired size and then dehydriding the powder. This process is called HMD (hydriding-milling-dehydriding) and needs an initial step of hydrogen incorporation to allow the alloy to be hydrided.

This four step process has been conveniently set up for the production of U-7Mo powder for its use in nuclear fuels. Low equipment investment and low man power are needed for this achievement.

The process is being analyzed in its scaling up for one kilogram batches and a 50 kilogram per year production capacity of U-Mo powder.

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