METHOD FOR PRODUCING CERAMIC NUCLEAR FUEL PELLETS Russian patent published in 2006 - IPC G21C3/62 

FIELD: nuclear engineering.

SUBSTANCE: proposed method for producing ceramic nuclear fuel pellets includes preparation of two-component mixture of uranium dioxide powder and erbium oxide powder with erbium mass percent ranging between 0.37 and 0.64 at conditional mass fraction of U-235 being 2.6 to 2.8 mass percent. This is followed by introduction of binder, preparation of molded pieces which are sintered to obtain ceramic nuclear fuel pellets. Erbium-containing powder of uranium mixed oxide is introduced in two-component mixture of uranium dioxide and erbium oxide during second stage. In order to provide for homogeneous distribution of erbium-containing uranium oxide mixture powders are mixed up in four stages. First stage involves preparation of erbium-enriched mixture from one eighth rated amount of uranium dioxide and full rated amount of erbium oxide. Second stage involves addition of full rated amount of erbium-containing uranium mixed oxide and one third of remaining uranium dioxide. Then erbium-enriched mixture obtained at second stage is sequentially mixed up in two stages with equal portions of remaining amount of uranium dioxide.

EFFECT: optimized operating qualities of pellets.

4 cl, 2 ex