METHOD FOR PRODUCING NUCLEAR REACTOR FUEL MICROELEMENTS Russian patent published in 2007 - IPC G21C3/06 G21C21/02 

FIELD: nuclear power engineering; nuclear reactor fuel microelements covered with four-layer shielding coating.

SUBSTANCE: proposed method involves sequential fluid-bed deposition of coating layers onto fuel microspheres. First low-density pyrocarbon layer is deposited by pyrolysis of acetylene and argon mixture of 50 volume percent concentration at temperature of 1450 °C. 85 - 95 % of second layer is deposited from high-density pyrocarbon by pyrolysis of acetylene and argon mixture of 40.0 - 43,0 volume percent concentration, and of propylene and argon mixture of 30.0 - 27.0 volume percent concentration at temperature of 1300 °C; 5 - 15 % of coating is deposited by pyrolysis of propylene and argon mixture of 5.0 - 10.0 volume percent concentration doped with 0.5 - 1. 5 volume percent of methyl trichlorosilane. Third layer of silicon carbide is deposited by pyrolysis of methyl trichlorosilane and argon mixture of 2.5 - 3.0 volume percent concentration in hydrogen-argon mixture at temperature of 1500 °C. Upon deposition this layer is treated with hydrogen at temperature of 1750 -1800 °C for 20 - 30 minutes. 90 - 95 % of fourth layer is deposited by pyrolysis of acetylene and argon mixture of 40.0 - 43.0 volume percent concentration and of argon and propylene mixture of 30.0 - 27.0 volume percent concentration at temperature of 1300 °C. Upon deposition of 90 - 95 % of fourth-layer pyrocarbon coating thickness 5 - 10 % of coating is deposited by pyrolysis of propylene and hydrogen mixture of 3.0 - 5.0 volume percent concentration.

EFFECT: enhanced service life of fuel microelements due to reduced damage probability during their manufacture and in service.

1 cl, 6 dwg, 1 tbl