From Conversion to Fabrication and Fine Characterization of MOX Fuel

MOX fuel is an intimate mixture of PuO₂ in a uranium oxide matrix, with plutonium content ranging from a few percent (light water reactor fuel) to several dozen percent (fast reactor fuel). In addition to conventional powder metallurgy processes, CEA Marcoule is studying other innovative ways of preparing MOX, such as advanced thermal denitration, SCS (solution combustion synthesis) and freeze granulation. The sintering of these different types of powder is being studied at the CEA, with the development of sintering maps and activation energy calculations. A wide range of tools are used to characterize sintered MOX pellets, from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).