US 11,551,822 B2 · Grain boundary enhanced UN and U3Si2 pellets with improved oxidation resistance

Abstract

A method of forming a water resistant boundary on a fissile material for use in a water cooled nuclear reactor is described. The method comprises mixing a powdered fissile material selected from the group consisting of UN and U3Si2 with an additive selected from oxidation resistant materials having a melting or softening point lower than the sintering temperature of the fissile material, pressing the mixed fissile and additive materials into a pellet, sintering the pellet to a temperature greater than the melting point of the additive. Alternatively, if the melting point of the oxidation resistant particles is greater than the sintering temperature of UN or U3Si2, then the oxidation resistant particles can have a particle size distribution less than that of the UN or U3Si2.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A nuclear fuel comprising:

a pellet comprised of compressed and densified grains of a fissile material selected from the group consisting of UN and U3Si2, the grains having grain boundaries;
and
an oxidation resistant additive coating at least a portion of the grain boundaries of the fissile material;
wherein the additive has a melting point greater than the sintering temperature of the fissile material, the additive is melted into at least a portion of the grain boundaries, and the additive has a median particle size less than that of UN or U3Si2.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

17/473,433Filed 13 Sep 2021 · division

Priority

30 Jan 2018

Published

US 2022/0068511 A13 Mar 2022

Granted

10 Jan 2023

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification41 codes

G21C 3/626
Ceramic fuel: coated fuel particles
C04B 35/5158
Based on non-oxide ceramics: based on actinide compounds
C04B 35/58
Based on non-oxide ceramics: based on borides, nitrides, i.e. nitrides, oxynitrides, carbonitrides or oxycarbonitrides or silicides
C04B 35/58085
Based on borides, nitrides, i.e. nitrides, oxynitrides, carbonitrides or oxycarbonitrides or silicides: based on silicides

Family

Application62/623,621Us provisional application · filed 30 Jan 2018

Application62/655,421Us provisional application · filed 10 Apr 2018

Application16/260,889Parent of this division · filed 29 Jan 2019

US 2022/0068511 A1Pre-grant publication · published 3 Mar 2022

US 11,145,425 B2Parent of this division

US 2019/0237206 A1Published application

US 11,551,822 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Grain boundary enhanced UN and U3Si2 pellets with improved oxidation resistance

Life of this patent

Grain boundary enhanced UN and U3Si2 pellets with improved oxidation resistance

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10