Method for providing uranium hydroxide on UO2 particles prior to generation of fugitive binder for sintering

This patent describes a method of producing a sintered body of nuclear fuel material wherein at least one amine compound selected from the group consisting of amine carbonates and amine carbamates is added to particulate nuclear fuel materials, the mixture is reacted in the presence of water, the resulting particulate nuclear fuel material is pressed to form a green pellet. Thereafter, the pellet is sintered, the improvement of preparing the mixture using particulate nuclear fuel having a predetermined amount of the hydroxide of the metallic element of the nuclear fuel in excess of about 2.0 wt% distributed over the surfaces of the particulate nuclear fuel