Pyrochemical method of salvaging weapons plutonium in oxide for fabricating mixed fuel for fast reactors

Autor: M. G. Shishkov, B. D. Rogozkin, L. I. Shibarshov, V. Yu. Rogozhkin, Yu. E. Fedorov, N. M. Stepennova, E. M. Glagovskii
Rok vydání: 2011
Předmět:
Zdroj: Atomic Energy. 109:266-273
ISSN: 1573-8205
1063-4258
DOI: 10.1007/s10512-011-9355-y
Popis: Experimental results of investigations of pyrochemical conversion of weapons plutonium into plutonium oxide for fabricating fast-reactor fuel are presented. Weapons plutonium was hydrogenized by hydrogen at 220°C, after which the plutonium hydride obtained was acidified at 550–560°C with the formation of PuO2. To increase fire and explosion safety of the process, a mixture of oxygen with nitrogen, helium, or argon was used or nitriding with nitrogen and oxidation of plutonium mononitride were introduced. The particle size of the plutonium oxide powders obtained was less than 15 μm. The powders showed poor flowability, but after granulation they were suitable for fabricating kernels with mixed fuel. The gallium was removed by reduction of Ga2O3 by hydrogen to Ga2O, which was sublimated. The mixed-fuel kernels sintered at 1600–1700°C in a hydrogen atmosphere contained
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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