Nuclear fuel fabrication process

Disclosed is a method of making a pellet from a powder by placing the powder in a heat-shrinkable container, sealing the container and isostatically pressing the container at a temperature which causes it to shrink, followed by decomposition of the container and sintering of the powder. In preparing nuclear fuel pellets, a free-flowing fissile powder is mixed with a free-flowing fertile powder and the mixture is placed in the heat-shrinkable container. The container is sealed, heated and isostatically pressed, then decomposed and the powder is sintered