Uranium products

Fuel Pellets for Atomic Power Plants

Unique production methods permit to widely adjust pore size distribution by addition of special pore agents while keeping a homogeneous porous structure. This adjustment is made from a homogeneous monomodal structure of average 1.5...4.5 mm pore size to a bimodal structure of average 1.0...4.0  mm fine pore size and average 10...50 mm coarse pore size.
 

Homogeneous porous structure and pore size distribution have the following effects:

• release of gaseous fission products under the fuel assembly cladding
• fuel pellet thermal conductivity
• compensation of fuel pellet swelling
  

Unique production methods permit to widely adjust average grain size and grain size distribution by pellet microalloying. This adjustment is made from a bimodal structure with the grain size of 1...3 mm of the grain phase and 10...30 mm of coarse grain phase to a homogeneous monomodal structure of average 20...50 mm grain size. Summary Boron Equivalent of alloyed pellets does not exceed 1.8 mg/gU.

The average grain size and grain size distribution hare the following

• release of gaseous fission products under the fuel assembly cladding
• "rim"- effect
• pellet plasticity and fuel/cladding interaction