Effect of Sintering Process on Densification of UN-30%U<sub>3</sub>Si<sub>2</sub> Pellets

Su Danke; Pan Xiaoqiang; Lu Yonghong; Yang Jing; Wang Ting; Duan Miaomiao

doi:10.13832/j.jnpe.2025.01.0175

Volume 46 Issue 1

Feb. 2025

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Article Navigation > Nuclear Power Engineering > 2025 > 46(1): 175-182

Su Danke, Pan Xiaoqiang, Lu Yonghong, Yang Jing, Wang Ting, Duan Miaomiao. Effect of Sintering Process on Densification of UN-30%U3Si2 Pellets[J]. Nuclear Power Engineering, 2025, 46(1): 175-182. doi: 10.13832/j.jnpe.2025.01.0175

Citation:

Su Danke, Pan Xiaoqiang, Lu Yonghong, Yang Jing, Wang Ting, Duan Miaomiao. Effect of Sintering Process on Densification of UN-30%U₃Si₂ Pellets[J]. Nuclear Power Engineering, 2025, 46(1): 175-182. doi: 10.13832/j.jnpe.2025.01.0175

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Effect of Sintering Process on Densification of UN-30%U₃Si₂ Pellets

doi: 10.13832/j.jnpe.2025.01.0175

Science and Technology on Reactor Fuel and Materials Laboratory, Nuclear Power Institute of China, Chengdu, 610213, China

Received Date: 2024-04-21
Rev Recd Date: 2024-06-12
Publish Date: 2025-02-15

Abstract

Abstract

In this paper, UN-30%U₃Si₂ composite fuel pellets with 30wt.%U₃Si₂ content were prepared based on powder metallurgy technology. The influence of sintering atmosphere, sintering temperature, sintering time and other sintering processes on the sintering density of pellets was studied. The densification process was analyzed mainly through the chemical composition, phase composition and microstructure changes of pellets. The results show that vacuum sintering of UN-30%U₃Si₂ composite fuel pellets is more favorable to densification than argon atmosphere sintering. With the increase of sintering temperature (1600~1675°C), the density increases gradually, up to 97%T.D. When the sintering temperature is higher than the melting point of U₃Si₂, with the increase of temperature, the U₃Si₂ phase suffers losses and volatilization during the high vacuum sintering process, and the N element tends to diffuse to the U₃Si₂ phase, forming the unknown USi_xN_y phase. The increase of sintering temperature or the extension of sintering time is conducive to the formation of coating of U₃Si₂ relative to UN phase.
- UN-30%U₃Si₂ composite fuel,
- Sintering process,
- Densification process

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References(17)

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