Los Alamos Women in Science Northern Chapter of the New Mexico Network for Women in Science and Engineering LUNCHTIME TALK SERIES

ABSTRACT

When processing mixed oxide (MOX) fuel (95 wt% UO₂ and 5 wt% PuO₂) it is desirable for the oxides to have an oxygen-to-metal ratio of about 2.00 in order to obtain densities to specifications. The uranium oxide (UO₂) selected was produced via the Ammonium Uranyl Carbonate (AUC) method. Oxygen-to-metal ratio analysis showed that the uranium oxide was hyperstoichiometric indicating the possibility that some U3O8 was present. The powder was thermally treated at 600 fC for 4 hours in flowing argon - 6% hydrogen bubbled through 1.6fC water in order to reduce the oxygen-to-metal ratio. Pellets were pressed and sintered with as-received UO₂ as well as with batches made with 25%, 33%, 50%, 75%, and 100% thermally treated UO₂ in order to see the effects of thermal treatment. Thermal treatment not only reduced the oxygen-to-metal ratio, but also increased the density of sintered pellets.

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Sideroom C is reserved from 11:30 to 1:30 for people who like to eat earlier or later, and informal discussion. You are welcome to come for just the talk at noon, and questions are encouraged!

For driving directions to Otowi Cafeteria (TA-3, building 261) at LANL, see: http://www.lanl.gov/tools/maps
(direct link to map showing the Otowi Building: http://nis-www.lanl.gov/cgi-bin/wthi?ta=3&bldg=261).

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LAWIS Lunch-Time Talk Organizer: Huyen Dinh, dinh@lanl.gov, 665-0737
LAWIS home page: http://home.lanl.gov/lawis
NMNWSE home page: http://www.nmnwse.org

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