On fabrication of UO2 microspheres by internal gelation process

Microspherical UO2 kernels for HTGR coated fuel particles were fabricated by the internal gelation process in order to examine some properties of these spheres. Fabrication run was made twice, using different nozzle sizes where droplets of uranium nitrate acid containing hexamethylentetramine and urea were dropped into the warmed paraffin oil. Characterization was made on diameter, sphericity, density, grain size and crushing strength of the sphere, and comparison of surface appearance and fracture surface of the particles fabricated by this process with those by the external process (SNAM process) was made by SEM observation. (author)