Theoretical and experimental density OF [O.sub.2]

• Published in: Atomic energy (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 113; no. 6; pp. 429 - 434
• Main Authors: Fedotov, A.V, Mikheev, E.N, Lysikov, A.V, Novikov, V.V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 01-04-2013
• Subjects: Rare earth metals; Uranium
• ISSN: 1063-4258; 1573-8205

An analytical expression is obtained for calculating the theoretical density of a stoichiometric, equilibrium, solid solution of the type [U.sub.1-y][R.sub.y][O.sub.2] for uranium-gadolinium and uranium-erbium oxide fuel with different initial [Gd.sub.2][O.sub.3] or [Er.sub.2][O.sub.3] content. It is shown that the theoretical density of oxide fuel, containing a rare-earth oxide of the type [R.sub.2][O.sub.3], determined on the basis of the x-ray density is 0.03 g/[cm.sup.3] higher and 0.02 g/[cm.sup.3] lower than the computed density of (U, Gd)[O.sub.2] and (U, Er)[O.sub.2], respectively. It is found that the density of sintered uranium-gadolinium oxide pellets with an equilibrium solid solution of the type (U, Gd)[O.sub.2] is 96-98% with initial [Gd.sub.2][O.sub.3] mass fraction to 3.35% of the theoretical value and 98-99% with 5% and higher.