Abstract

This specification covers finished sintered and ground (uranium-plutonium) dioxide pellets for use in thermal reactors. It applies to uranium-plutonium dioxide pellets containing plutonium additions up to 15 % weight. The diversity of manufacturing methods shall be recognized by which uranium-plutonium dioxide pellets are produced and the many special requirements for chemical and physical characterization that may be imposed by the operating conditions to which the pellets will be subjected in specific reactor systems. The following are different chemical requirements that shall be determined: uranium content, plutonium content, impurity content, stoichiometry, moisture content, gas content, and americium-241 content. Nuclear requirements such as isotopic content, plutonium equivalent at a given date, equivalent boron content, and reactivity shall also be determined. Physical properties of the pellets like dimensions, density, grain size, pore morphology, plutonium-oxide homogeneity, plutonium-oxide particle size, plutonium-oxide particle distribution, integrity, and surface cracks shall be determined as well. The surfaces of finished pellets shall be visually free of loose chips, oil, macroscopic inclusions, and foreign materials. An estimate of the fuel pellet irradiation stability shall be obtained unless adequate allowance for such effects are factored into the fuel rod design. The estimate of the stability shall consist of either conformance to the thermal stability test as specified in the or by adequate correlation of manufacturing process or microstructure to in-reactor behavior, or both.

This abstract is a brief summary of the referenced standard. It is informational only and not an official part of the standard; the full text of the standard itself must be referred to for its use and application. ASTM does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents of this abstract are accurate, complete or up to date.

1. Scope

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

C698 Test Methods for Chemical, Mass Spectrometric, and Spectrochemical Analysis of Nuclear-Grade Mixed Oxides ((U, Pu)O2)

C753 Specification for Nuclear-Grade, Sinterable Uranium Dioxide Powder

C757 Specification for Nuclear-Grade Plutonium Dioxide Powder, Sinterable

C859 Terminology Relating to Nuclear Materials

C1165 Test Method for Determining Plutonium by Controlled-Potential Coulometry in H2SO4 at a Platinum Working Electrode

C1204 Test Method for Uranium in Presence of Plutonium by Iron(II) Reduction in Phosphoric Acid Followed by Chromium(VI) Titration

C1206 Test Method for Plutonium by Iron (II)/Chromium (VI) Amperometric Titration

C1233 Practice for Determining Equivalent Boron Contents of Nuclear Materials

E105 Practice for Probability Sampling of Materials

ANSI Standard

U.S. Government Documents

Keywords

light water reactors; mixed oxide fuel; nuclear fuel; plutonium; plutonium disposition; thermal reactors; uranium-plutonium oxide;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 27.120.30 (Fissile materials and nuclear fuel technology)

DOI: 10.1520/C0833-13

ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.

ASTM C833