Fabrication of highly-loaded low-enrichment uranium aluminide fuel plates

Progress is reported on experimentation at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory with fabrication of highly-loaded low-enrichment uranium aluminide fuel plates. The objectives of the program were: (1) to develop the processes for producing experimental fuel plates with maximum practical UAl/sub x/ loadings using the standard rolling technique; and (2) to demonstrate that plates fabricated using these processes will perform satisfactorily. The target burnup was 60 to 80% of the fissile atoms. An upper limit of 52 vol % UAl/sub x/ was chosen as the practical limit for fabricability of this material