Preliminary Study on Manufacture Process and Microstructure of Thin Rod Uranium-Zirconium Hydride Fuel Pellets

Uranium-zirconium hydride fuel pellets were manufactured by the method of melting and casting U-Zr alloys and then hydrogenating the U-Zr alloys.The casting quality and yield were improved by changing the parameters of melting and casting process.U-Zr alloys were hydrogenated by using different parameters.The H/Zr atomic ratio of uranium-zirconium hydride fuel pellets was ranged from 1.41 to 1.71.The size of specimens was increased after hydrogenation process.The fuel pellet was composited by several phases,and uranium was present as metallic inclusions in a matrix of zirconium hydride.In addition,the concentration of hydrogen at fuel pellet brim was higher than that at fuel pellet center.