Survey on the characteristics of the LWR fuels and process sequences in fuel fabrication

Relationships between the characteristics of the LWR fuels UO2, UO2-PuO2, and UO2-Gd2O3 and process sequences in fuel production by the ADU, AUC, Dry-Bed, GECO, and IDR procedures are discussed for four groups of properties: (1) content of fissionable and poison material, (2) chemical purity and stoichiometry, (3) density and microstructure (pore structure, grain structure, oxide phase structure), (4) surface and geometrie. All requirements to the fuel necessary in relation to fuel performance, can be fulfilled by the industrial manufacture procedures which differ in their particular process sequences. Among the wet conversion procedures, the AUC process and among the dry procedures, the GECO and IDR procedures show the highest degree of development with respect to process optimization and stability. (orig.)