Abstract
Densification behavior of sol-gel (Th, U)O 2 microspheres in Ar-4%H 2, air or steam is studied and compared. In all the atmospheres studied, they are sintered up to above 99% TD at 1300°C. Below 1300°C, the densification is affected by atmosphere and by U content. In Ar-4%H 2, the densification proceeds by maintaining the most homogeneous microstructure among the three atmospheres and is completed at the lowest temperature; both sinterability and microstructural homogeneity during densification are in the order: Ar-4% H 2 > air > steam. However, once the microstructure has been degraded and becomes inhomogeneous, further densification in Ar-4%H 2 becomes more difficult than in the other atmospheres; the sinterability in this case is in the order: steam > air > Ar-4% H 2. It is indicated that the highest sinterability in Ar-4%H 2 is attributed to very fine (nm order) particles in the sol-gel microspheres, and that the enhancement of oxide fuel sintering in steam as has been reported should be attributed not only to its high oxygen potential but also to some other factors.
Published Version
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