DEVELOPMENT OF SWAGED STAINLESS STEEL FUEL RODS CONTAINING UO2

摘要

A program has been initiated to evaluate rotary swaging as a technique for fabricating stainless steel fuel rods containing U02. Emphasis has been placed on a parametric study to determine the effects of type of U02, total reduction, swaging temperature, and particle size on the swaged density of uranium dioxide in type 304 stainless steel tubing. High-fired, fused and ground, and ceramic-grade oxides were surveyed to determine which materials would swage to the highest density. It was found that fused and ground U02 cold 6wages to the highest density, 91% of theoretical, at a reduction in area of approximately 55%. Rod-milled high-fired U02 swages to 85% of theoretical density at a similar reduction.