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US 6,669,874 B1Granted
Method for production of and material adapted to be sintered to a nuclear fuel element with oxide base
AssigneeWestinghouse Atom AB
InventorsPhilippe Abry, Sten Borell, Sven Eriksson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for production of a nuclear fuel element with oxide base, in which the nuclear fuel with oxide base is mixed with Cr and sintered to a solid body. The amount of chrome oxide added is =>50 and <100 ppm with respect to the amount of nuclear fuel with oxide base added.
Claims17
A method for producing an oxide-based nuclear fuel element, the method comprising:
- mixing the oxide-based fuel with chrome oxide in the form of Cr2O3 in an amount between ≧50 ppm and <1000 ppm with respect to the amount of oxide-based fuel;
- mixing the oxide-based fuel and chrome oxide with at least one further metal oxide, wherein the metal in the metal oxide has a substantially smaller neutron absorption cross section than Cr, wherein the amount of the at least one further metal oxide added noticeably contributes to a grain enlarging effect of chrome oxide on the nuclear fuel during sintering;
- and
- sintering the mixed oxide-based fuel, the further metal oxide and the chrome oxide to form a solid body.
1 more element
An oxide-based material adapted to be sintered to a nuclear fuel element, comprising:
- an oxide-based nuclear fuel;
- chrome oxide in the form of Cr2O3 wherein the amount of Cr is between ≧50 ppm and ≦1000 ppm with respect to the amount of the oxide-based nuclear fuel;
- and
- at least one further metal oxide comprising a metal having a substantially smaller neutron absorption cross section than Cr and being present in such an amount that it contributes noticeably to a grain enlarging effect of chrome oxide upon the oxide-based nuclear fuel at the sintering of the material.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.