Preparation of nuclear fuel spheres by flotation-internal gelation

An internal gelation process is described for the preparation of nuclear fuels, comprising: moving a volume of hot perchloroethylene through a trough; directing droplets of a nuclear fuel solution into the moving volume of hot perchloroethylene. The droplets of nuclear fuel solution gel to form gelled spheres while the droplets are floating on the surface of the moving volume of perchloroethylene; dropping the resultant gelled spheres into a vertical column of perchloroethylene, wherein the gelled spheres of nuclear fuel age as a floating bed in the vertical column; and separating the aged gelled spheres of nuclear fuel from the perchloroethylene