Preparation of metal hydride bodies by improved powder metallurgy process

A method of forming a high density zirconium hydride body containing at least about 55 atom percent hydrogen, which comprises forming a powder mixture of zirconium hydride powders, said mixture containing about 10-25 percent of powders having less than about 55 atom percent hydrogen and the remainder zirconium hydride powders containing at least about 60 atom percent hydrogen, and then hot forming the cold compacted body at a temperature of about 500.degree.-650.degree. C. in a non-oxidizing atmosphere.

The method of claim 3 wherein nuclear fuel is blended with the zirconium hydride powder mixture prior to cold forming.

A method of forming a zirconium hydride body containing at least about 55 atom percent hydrogen of high density and uniform hydrogen content, which comprises blending zirconium hydride powders having less than about 55 atom percent hydrogen with zirconium hydride powders having at least 60 atom percent hydrogen, cold compacting the resulting powder mixture, hot forming the cold formed body at a temperature of about 500.degree.-650.degree. C. in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to form a dense zirconium hydride body, and heating the resulting formed body at a temperature greater than about 650.degree. F., thereby forming a composition having a homogenous hydrogen concentration intermediate between the hydrogen concentration of said initial zirconium hydride powders.

A method of forming a zirconium hydride body having the formula ZrH.sub.1.8 which comprises mixing 80 percent ZrH.sub.2.0 powder with 20 percent ZrH.sub.1.0 powder, cold compacting the resulting powder mixture, and hot rolling the resulting powder compact at a temperature of about 600.degree. C., thereby achieving a body having a density of at least 98 percent of theoretical, and then heating said body at a temperature of about 700.degree. C., to achieve uniform hydrogen distribution and the formula ZrH.sub.1.8.

The method of forming a high density zirconium hydride body of high hydrogen concentration, which comprises forming a mixture of about 10-25 weight percent Zr-ZrH.sub.1.2 powders and the remainder ZrH.sub.1.5 -ZrH.sub.2.0 powders, and hot forming the resulting powder mixture at a temperature of about 500.degree.-650.degree. C. in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to cause flow of the ductile powders and thereby give a high density compact.

A method of forming a high denstiy zirconium hydride body of high hydrogen concentration which comprises forming a mixture of about 10-25 weight percent zirconium hydride powders in the ductile alpha.times.delta phase and the remainder zirconium hydride powders in the brittle delta.times.epsilon phase, and hot forming the resulting mixture at a temperature of about 500.degree.-650.degree. C. in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to cause flow of the ductile powders and yield a high density compact.