Study of uranium particle fuel fabrication with the external gelation process with the vibration dropping Method

Nishimura, Kazuhisa; Shoji, Shuichi*; not registered; Sato, Seiichi*; not registered; Endo, Hideo

The external gelation process is one of the candidates of MOX particle fuel fabrication for advanced recycle system. It was necessary to perform preliminary fuel fabrication with uranium before starting MOX tests. As the result of the preliminary examination, Basics conditions of the fabrication were obtained: (1)Optimized uranyl nitrate solution and PVA solution, as raw materials were prepared. (2)The frequency of vibration and the amount of flow were obtained with optimized broth (mixture) in the vibration dropping process. (3)The influence of composition of broth and concentration of ammonia solution on gelation process was obtained. (4)Impurities after aging, washing and drying spHerical gel were surveyed, (5)The spherical gel were calcined to oxide particles and the particles were characterized by TG-DTA, therefore it is certain that outlook on the sintered particles as final products is very clear. On the top of that, there were no fatal technicalities of the external gelation process through material balance and a diameter dispersion of spherical gel and oxide particles. It is necessary to perform uranium examination to solve some new problems, for instant, surface crack of spherical gel. Although almost of all the preparations are completed and fabrication examination of MOX particles with vibration dropping equipment are ready for starting.