Caracterizacao metalografica de dispersoes de U3O8 em aluminio pra elementos combustiveis tipo MTR

The conventional method for U3O8 powder production adopted by IPEN-CNEN starts from ADU in order to supply the IEA-R1 with fuel elements. In spite of the better operational characteristics of this current method of production, it was developed a new method to eliminate the difficult pressing and granulation steps using as a raw material ammonium uranyl carbonate. As AUC is used to produce UO2 for PWR type fuels, the use of the same material AUC as U3O8 powder precursor is important in order to standardize the UF6 conversion process. The cladding thickness, fuel core length and its residual porosity into fuels plates were measured. Metallographic tests were carried out in the fuel plates produced with U3O8 obtaining from this alternative method and the corresponding digital images analyzed in terms of U3O8 particle size volumetric distribution (author)