Abstract
Uranium dioxide, UO2, is the conventional fuel of thermal nuclear reactors, and the mixed oxide (U,Pu)O2 will be the fuel for the first generation of fast breeder reactors. New results on metal self-diffusion and a critical review of kinetic measurements on UO2 show that many data need re-interpretation. This has also consequences for the mixed oxide. Most laboratory data were obtained on coprecipitated solid solutions of (U,Pu)O2 whereas in technological fuel fabrication frequently mechanically blended UO2 and PuO2 powders are sintered. Homogenization of these blends is important to avoid local overheating during reactor operation since fission and thus heat generation occur almost entirely with Pu only.
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