1、Designation: C 753 04 (Reapproved 2009)Standard Specification forNuclear-Grade, Sinterable Uranium Dioxide Powder1This standard is issued under the fixed designation C 753; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or, in the case of revision, the year o
2、f last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. Asuperscript epsilon () indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.INTRODUCTIONThis specification is intended to provide the nuclear industry with a general specification forsinterable uranium di
3、oxide powder. It recognizes the diversity of manufacturing methods by whichuranium dioxide powders are produced and the many special requirements for chemical and physicalcharacterization which may be imposed by the end use of the powder in a specific reactor system. Itis, therefore, anticipated tha
4、t the buyer may supplement this specification with additional requirementsfor specific applications.1. Scope1.1 This specification covers nuclear-grade, sinterable ura-nium dioxide (UO2) powder. It applies to uranium dioxidepowder containing uranium of any235U concentration in theproduction of nucle
5、ar fuel pellets for use in nuclear reactors.1.2 This specification recognizes the presence of repro-cessed uranium in the fuel cycle and consequently definesisotopic limits for commercial grade UO2. Such commercialgrade UO2is defined so that, regarding fuel design andmanufacture, the product is esse
6、ntially equivalent to that madefrom unreprocessed uranium. UO2falling outside these limitscannot necessarily be regarded as equivalent and may thusneed special provisions at the fuel fabrication plant or in thefuel design.1.3 This specification does not include provisions for pre-venting criticality
7、 accidents or requirements for health andsafety. Observance of this specification does not relieve theuser of the obligation to be aware of and conform to allinternational, national, or federal, state, and local regulationspertaining to possessing, shipping, processing, or using sourceor special nuc
8、lear material.1.4 This specification refers expressly to calcined UO2powder before the addition of any die lubricant, binder, or poreformer. If powder is sold with such additions or prepared aspress feed, sampling procedures, allowable impurity contents,or powder physical requirements may need to be
9、 modified byagreement between the buyer and the seller.1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility
10、 of regulatory requirements prior to use.2. Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2B 329 Test Method for Apparent Density of Metal Powdersand Compounds Using the Scott VolumeterC 696 Test Methods for Chemical, Mass Spectrometric, andSpectrochemical Analysis of Nuclear-Grade Uranium Di-oxide Powders
11、 and PelletsC 859 Terminology Relating to Nuclear MaterialsC 996 Specification for Uranium Hexafluoride Enriched toLess Than 5 %235UC 1233 Practice for Determining Equivalent Boron Con-tents of Nuclear MaterialsE11 Specification for Woven Wire Test Sieve Cloth andTest SievesE 105 Practice for Probab
12、ility Sampling Of Materials2.2 ANSI Standard:3ANSI/ASME NQA-1 Quality Assurance Requirements forNuclear Facility Applications2.3 Federal Regulation:41This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C26 onNuclear Fuel Cycle and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee C26.02 on Fue
13、land Fertile Material Specifications.Current edition approved June 1, 2009. Published July 2009. Originally approvedin 1973. Last previous edition approved in 2004 as C 753 04.2For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org. Fo
14、r Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information, refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St.,4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, http:/www.ansi.org.4Available from Standardization Documents Order Desk, DODS
15、SP, Bldg. 4,Section D, 700 Robbins Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111-5098, http:/www.dodssp.daps.mil.1Copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Chapter 1, NuclearRegulatory Commission, Applicabl
16、e Parts3. Terminology3.1 DefinitionsDefinitions of terms are as given in Termi-nology C 859.4. Chemical Requirements4.1 Uranium ContentThe uranium content shall be deter-mined on a basis to be agreed upon between the buyer andseller.4.2 Oxygen-to-Uranium Ratio (O/U)The O/U ratio maybe specified as a
17、greed upon between the buyer and seller. Thedetermination of the O/U ratio shall be in accordance with TestMethods C 696 or a demonstrated equivalent.4.3 Impurity ContentThe impurity content shall not ex-ceed the individual element limit specified in Table 1 on auranium weight basis. The summation o
18、f the contribution ofeach of the impurity elements listed in Table 1 shall not exceed1500 g/gU. If an element analysis is reported as “less than” agiven concentration, this “less than” value shall be used in thedetermination of total impurities. If an element analysis isreported as “less than” a giv
19、en concentration, this “less than”value shall be used in the determination of total impurities.4.4 Moisture ContentThe moisture content shall not ex-ceed 0.40 weight percent of the powder.4.5 Isotopic Content:4.5.1 For UO2powder with an isotopic content of235Ubetween that of natural uranium and 5 %,
20、 the isotopic limits ofSpecification C 996 shall apply, unless otherwise agreed uponbetween the buyer and the seller. If the236U content is greaterthan Enriched Commercial Grade UF6requirements, the iso-topic analysis requirements of Specification C 996 shall apply.The specific isotopic measurements
21、 required by SpecificationC 996 may be waived, provided that the seller can demonstratecompliance with Specification C 996, for instance, through thesellers quality assurance records. A236U content greater thanthat specified in C 996 for Enriched Commercial Grade UF6may be agreed between the buyer a
22、nd the seller since it is nota safety concern.54.5.2 For UO2powder, not having an assay in the range setforth in 4.5.1, the isotopic requirements shall be as agreed uponbetween the buyer and the seller.4.6 Equivalent Boron ContentFor thermal reactor use, thetotal equivalent boron content (EBC) shall
23、 not exceed 4.0 g/gon a uranium weight basis. For purpose of EBC calculation B,Gd, Eu, Dy, Sm, and Cd shall be included in addition toelements listed in Table 1. The method of performing thecalculation shall be as indicated in Practice C 1233. For fastreactor use, the above limitation on EBC does no
24、t apply.4.7 Cleanliness and WorkmanshipThe powder shall bevisually free of foreign material such as metallic particles andoil.5. Physical Requirements5.1 Particle SizeBased on visual observation, all of arepresentative sample of the UO2shall pass through a 425-m(No. 40) standard sieve conforming to
25、Specification E11.Particle size distribution and method of determination shall beas agreed upon between the buyer and seller. Alternatively, asagreed upon between the buyer and the seller, the fraction notpassing through a 425-m (No. 40) standard sieve shall bereported to the buyer.5.2 Bulk DensityT
26、he bulk density of UO2powder willdepend on the processing method. Unless otherwise agreedupon between the buyer and seller, the bulk density shall be aminimum of 0.625 kg/m3as determined by Test Method B 329,or an agreed upon alternative.NOTE 1For powder prepared as a press feed, a minimum bulk dens
27、ityof 1.8 g/cm3is recommended.5.3 Sinterability Test pellets shall be produced and mea-sured in accordance with a sintering performance test agreedupon between the buyer and seller. A sinterability performancetest described in Appendix X1 is presented as a guide.6. Sampling6.1 A lot is defined as a
28、quantity of UO2powder that isuniform in isotopic, chemical, physical, and sinterability char-acteristics.6.2 The identity of a lot shall be retained throughout itsprocessing history.6.3 A powder lot shall form the basis for defining samplingplans used to establish conformance to this specification.6
29、.4 Sampling plans and procedures shall be mutually agreedupon by the buyer and the seller. Analytical confirmation ofsampling plans shall be documented as part of the manufac-turers quality assurance and nuclear materials control andaccountability program.5The intent of the C 996 isotope limits is t
30、o indicate possible presence ofreprocessed UF6. Acceptance of UO2pellets with236U content above that specifiedfor Enriched Commercial Grade UF6, shall be based on fuel performance evalua-tion.TABLE 1 Impurity Elements and Maximum Concentration LimitsElementMaximum ConcentrationLimit of Uranium, g/gU
31、Aluminum 250Carbon 100Calcium + magnesium 200Chlorine 100Chromium 200Cobalt 100Copper 250Fluorine 100Iron 250Lead 250Manganese 250Molybdenum 250Nickel 200Nitrogen 200Phosphorus 250Silicon 300Tantalum 250ThoriumA10Tin 250Titanium 250Tungsten 250Vanadium 250Zinc 250AThorium is primarily of concern bec
32、ause of the reactor production of233U.C 753 04 (2009)26.5 UO2may be hygroscopic and retain sufficient waterafter exposure to a moist atmosphere to cause detectable errors.Sample, weigh, and handle the sample under conditions thatwill ensure that the sample is representative of the lot.7. Test Method
33、s7.1 The seller shall test the sample to ensure conformance ofthe powder to the requirements of Sections 4 and 5.7.1.1 All chemical analyses shall be performed on portionsof the representative sample. Analytical chemistry methodsused shall be in accordance with Test Methods C 696 ordemonstrated equi
34、valent methods agreed upon between thebuyer and seller.7.2 Lot AcceptanceAcceptance testing may be performedby the buyer on either the sample provided by the seller or asample taken at the buyers plant by sampling one or moreindividual containers with a thief. Practice E 105 is referencedas a guide.
35、 Acceptance shall be on a lot basis and shall becontingent upon the material properties meeting the require-ments of Sections 4 through 6.7.3 Referee Method The buyer and seller shall agree to athird party as a referee in the event of a dispute in analyticalresults.8. Certification8.1 The seller sha
36、ll provide to the buyer documents certify-ing:8.1.1 The isotopic content and identity of the startingmaterial lot and8.1.2 That the powder meets all the requirements of Sec-tions 4 through 6.8.2 Test data on the following characteristics shall besupplied upon request:8.2.1 Uranium isotopic content,8
37、.2.2 Uranium content,8.2.3 Individual impurity levels,8.2.4 Moisture content,8.2.5 Sinterability test results,8.2.6 O/U ratio,8.2.7 Particle size distribution, and8.2.8 Bulk density.9. Packaging and Package Marking9.1 Uranium dioxide powder shall be packaged in sealedcontainers to prevent loss of ma
38、terial and undue contaminationfrom air or the container materials. The exact size and methodof packaging shall be as agreed upon by the buyer and seller.9.2 Each container shall bear, as a minimum, a label on thelid and side with the following information:9.2.1 Sellers name,9.2.2 Material in contain
39、er,9.2.3 Lot number,9.2.4 Uranium enrichment,9.2.5 Gross, tare, net oxide weights,9.2.6 Uranium weight,9.2.7 Purchase order number, and9.2.8 Container ( ) of ( ).10. Quality Assurance10.1 Quality Assurance requirements shall be as agreedupon between the buyer and seller when specified in thepurchase
40、 order. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Part 50,Appendix B and ANSI/ASME NQA-1 are referenced asguides.11. Keywords11.1 nuclear fuel; powder; urania; uranium dioxideAPPENDIX(Nonmandatory Information)X1. SINTERABILITY TESTX1.1 PurposeX1.1.1 The purpose of the sinterability test is to verify th
41、efabricability of each lot of UO2powder.Although not required,it is desirable to simulate the buyers pellet fabrication processto improve the predictability of the powder. A suggestedsinterability test follows.X1.2 Fabrication of Test PelletsX1.2.1 Preparation of Test PelletsCold press powder withth
42、e addition of agreed upon quantities of lubricant or additiveto produce at least fifteen green pellets within a predetermineddensity range approximating the buyers target range. Thedensity of each pellet shall vary no more than 60.5 %theoretical density (TD) from the average of the required testpell
43、ets. The type of pellet press, pressing conditions, die taper,use and quantity of any lubricant or additive (if used), powderpreconditioning, dwell time, and any other relevant pressingconditions shall be approved by the buyer. Report the averagegreen density and pressing pressure for each pellet.X1
44、.2.2 The diameter and length-to-diameter ratio of theunfired test pellets shall be approximately that of the buyersunfired production pellets. The length of each unfired pelletshall vary no more than 60.5 mm (60.02 in.).X1.2.3 Fire the pellets as one batch in hydrogen or dissoci-ated ammonia at a pr
45、edetermined temperature set point (typi-cally 1625 to 1750C, with a temperature control of 625C)for 2 to 6 h, approximating the buyers sintering conditions.The type of furnace used, atmosphere including dew point, andactual sintering cycle shall be as agreed upon between thebuyer and the seller.X1.2
46、.4 Once established, all of the parameters of this testshall remain unchanged throughout all lots of the order.C 753 04 (2009)3X1.3 Density DeterminationX1.3.1 Determine the geometrical density of the unfired andfired, but unground pellets as follows:X1.3.1.1 DiameterRecord the average of four readi
47、ngstaken to the nearest 0.005 mm (0.0002 in.) at equally spacedintervals along the length of the pellet using a blade microme-ter or equivalent gauge.X1.3.1.2 LengthRecord the average of three readingstaken to the nearest 0.005 mm (0.0002 in.) from end to end ofthe pellet at equally spaced intervals
48、 along a vertically bisect-ing plane using a micrometer or equivalent gauge.X1.3.1.3 WeightRecord the pellet weight to the nearest0.001 g.X1.3.1.4 DensityCalculate the density of each pellet tothe nearest 0.01 g/cm3. The geometric density calculationshould account for known biases due to pellet geom
49、etry effectsand should be qualified by demonstrated equivalency with animmersion technique.X1.3.2 Alternatively, the density of the pellet may beobtained by an immersion technique or demonstrated equiva-lent method as agreed upon between the buyer and the seller.X1.4 Sintered Pellet Performance TestX1.4.1 Make the sinterability test using at least fifteenpellets produced from each lot. Determine the density of eachpellet, and verify that each pellet is within 62.0 % of theaverage and not less than 94.0 % TD. The minimum sintereddensity should acc
