1、Designation: C757 161Standard Specification forNuclear-Grade Plutonium Dioxide Powder for Light WaterReactors1This standard is issued under the fixed designation C757; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of las
2、t revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. Asuperscript epsilon () indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1NOTEEditorially corrected 6.4 in October 2016.INTRODUCTIONThis specification is intended to provide the nuclear industry with a gene
3、ral standard for plutoniumdioxide (PuO2) powder. It recognizes the diversity of manufacturing methods by which PuO2powdersare produced and the many special requirements for chemical and physical characterization that maybe applicable for a particular Mixed Oxide (MOX, that is (U, Pu)O2) fuel pellet
4、manufacturing processor imposed by the end user of the powder in different light water reactors. It is, therefore, anticipatedthat the buyer may supplement this specification with more stringent or additional requirements forspecific applications.1. Scope1.1 This specification covers nuclear grade P
5、uO2powder. Itapplies to PuO2of various isotopic compositions as normallyprepared by in-reactor neutron irradiation of natural or slightlyenriched uranium or by in-reactor neutron irradiation ofrecycled plutonium mixed with uranium.1.2 There is no discussion of or provision for preventingcriticality
6、incidents, nor are health and safety requirements, theavoidance of hazards, or shipping precautions and controlsdiscussed. Observance of this specification does not relieve theuser of the obligation to be aware of and conform to allapplicable international, national, or federal, state, and localregu
7、lations pertaining to possessing, shipping, processing, orusing source or special nuclear material. For examples in theU.S. Government, relevant documents are Code of FederalRegulations, Title 10 Nuclear Safety Guide, U.S. AtomicEnergy Commission Report TID-70162, and “Handbook ofNuclear Safety”, H.
8、 K. Clark, U.S. Atomic Energy Commis-sion Report, DP-5322.1.3 The PuO2shall be produced by a qualified process andin accordance with a quality assurance program approved bythe user.1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as thestandard.1.5 This standard does not purport to address all o
9、f 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 of regulatory limitations prior to use.2. Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:3B243 Terminology of Pow
10、der MetallurgyC697 Test Methods for Chemical, Mass Spectrometric, andSpectrochemical Analysis of Nuclear-Grade PlutoniumDioxide Powders and PelletsC859 Terminology Relating to Nuclear MaterialsC1233 Practice for Determining Equivalent Boron Contentsof Nuclear MaterialsC1274 Test Method for Advanced
11、Ceramic Specific SurfaceArea by Physical AdsorptionC1295 Test Method for Gamma Energy Emission fromFission and Decay Products in Uranium Hexafluoride andUranyl Nitrate SolutionC1770 Test Method for Determination of Loose and TappedBulk Density of Plutonium OxideE105 Practice for Probability Sampling
12、 of Materials1This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C26 onNuclear Fuel Cycle and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee C26.02 on Fueland Fertile Material Specifications.Current edition approved April 1, 2016. Published April 2016. Originallyapproved in 1974. Last prev
13、ious edition approved in 2011 as C757 06 (2011)1.DOI: 10.1520/C0757-16E01.2Available from Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government PrintingOffice, 732 N. Capitol St., NW, Mail Stop: SDE, Washington, DC 20402.3For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, orcontact ASTM Cus
14、tomer Service at serviceastm.org. For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information, refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.Copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States12.2 ASME Standard:ASME NQA-1 Qualit
15、yAssurance Requirements for NuclearFacility Applications42.3 U.S. Government Documents:Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Nuclear SafetyGuide, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Report TID-70162“Handbook of Nuclear Safety,” Clark, H. K., U.S. AtomicEnergy Commission Report, DP-53222.4 ISO Standard:IS
16、O 8300 Determination of Pu Content in Plutonium Diox-ide (PuO2) of Nuclear Grade Quality, GravimetricMethod4ISO 9161 Uranium Dioxide PowderDetermination of Ap-parent Density and Tap DensityISO 13463 Nuclear-grade Plutonium Dioxide Powder forFabrication of Light Water Reactor MOX FuelGuidelines to He
17、lp in the Definition of a Product Speci-fication3. Terminology3.1 DefinitionsDefinitions of terms are as given in Termi-nologies B243 and C859.4. Isotopic Content4.1 Concentrations and homogeneity ranges of the pluto-nium (Pu) shall be as specified by the buyer.4.2 The isotopic composition of the fi
18、nal product shall bedetermined by a method to be agreed upon between the buyerand seller and shall be reported on a Pu basis including theassociated measurement uncertainties. The date of the deter-mination will be indicated.5. Chemical Composition5.1 Plutonium ContentThe minimum Pu content shall be
19、86.0 weight % including measurement uncertainties assampled on the date of sampling.5.2 Uranium ContentThe uranium content of the PuO2shall be measured and reported on a Pu basis.5.3 Americium ContentThe americium (Am) content shallbe measured and reported on a Pu basis. The maximumacceptable Am con
20、tent shall be agreed upon between the buyerand seller.5.4 The dates of analyses of U, Th and Am shall berecorded.5.5 Impurity ContentThe impurity content shall not ex-ceed the individual element limit specified in Table 1 onaPubasis. Total non-volatile oxide impurity content excluding Amshall not ex
21、ceed 6000 g/g Pu. Some other elements such asthose listed in Table 2 may also be of concern for the buyer andshould be measured and reported if requested. If an elementanalysis is reported as “less than” a given concentration, this“less than” value shall be used in the determination of totalimpuriti
22、es. Impurity elements measured and their associatedlimits may differ from what is listed in this specification asagreed upon between the buyer and seller.5.6 Moisture ContentThe moisture content shall be mea-sured and reported on a Pu basis. The maximum acceptablemoisture content shall be agreed upo
23、n between the buyer andthe seller.5.7 Equivalent Boron ContentFor thermal reactor use, thetotal equivalent boron content (EBC) shall not exceed 20.0g/g on a Pu basis. The method of performing the calculationshall be as indicated in Practice C1233. For fast reactor use, theabove limitation on EBC doe
24、s not apply.5.8 Gamma ActivityThe gamma activity (Bq/g Pu) of thegamma emitting fission products whose isotopes have halflives of 30 days or greater shall be measured. The gammaradiation from fission products shall be less than 105MeVBq/g Pu.4Available from American Society of Mechanical Engineers (
25、ASME), ASMEInternational Headquarters, Two Park Ave., New York, NY 10016-5990, http:/www.asme.org.TABLE 1 Impurity Elements and Maximum Concentration LimitsElementCMaximum ConcentrationLimitof Plutonium, g/gPuAluminum (Al) 300Boron (B) 3Cadmium (Cd) 3Carbon (C)A500Chlorine (Cl) 300Chromium (Cr) 200D
26、ysprosium (Dy) 0.5Europium (Eu) 0.5Fluorine (F) 200Iron (Fe) 500Gadolinium (Gd) 3Magnesium (Mg) 200Molybdenum (Mo) 100Nickel (Ni) 200Nitrogen (N) 300Samarium (Sm) 2Silicon (Si) 200Sodium (Na) 100Titanium (Ti) 100Thorium (Th)B50Tungsten (W) 100Zinc (Zn) 100ASample may be heated prior to carbon analys
27、is.BThorium is primarily of concern because of the reactor production of233U.CAny additional potential impurities, added by the fabrication process for example,beyond those listed here shall be evaluated (for example, in terms of equivalentboron), and associated limits established and agreed upon be
28、tween the buyer andseller.TABLE 2 Additional Impurity ElementsElementBeryllium (Be) Niobium (Nb)Bismuth (Bi) Phosphorous (P)Calcium (Ca) Potassium (K)Cobalt (Co) Silver (Ag)Copper (Cu) Sulfur (S)Indium (In) Tantalum (Ta)Lead (Pb) Tin (Sn)Lithium (Li) Vanadium (V)Manganese (Mn) Zirconium (Zr)Neptuniu
29、m (Np)C757 16125.8.1 The list of nuclides and mean energies per disintegra-tion found in Test Method C1295 are to be used in thecalculations.6. Physical Properties6.1 Cleanliness and WorkmanshipThe PuO2powder shallbe free of visible fragments of foreign matter.6.2 Particle SizePuO2powder particle si
30、ze limits andmethod of determination shall be agreed upon between thebuyer and seller. As an example, in oxalic acid type precipita-tion processes, no particles should exist above 100 m and atleast 95 % of the particles are expected to be less than 50 m.6.3 Tap DensityThe measured tap density of the
31、 PuO2powder will depend on the production process and measure-ment method. This measurement is often used in criticalitycalculations. The tap density limit and method of determination(for example, Test Method C1770 or ISO 9161) shall be agreedupon between the buyer and seller.6.4 Specific Surface Ar
32、eaThe specific surface area limitsand method of determination shall be agreed upon between thebuyer and seller. As an example, in oxalic acid type precipita-tion processes the specific surface area of the purified PuO2powder is expected to be between 2 m2/g and 30 m2/g based onthe Brunauer-Emmet-Tel
33、ler, or BET, adsorption method (forexample, in accordance with Guide C1274).NOTE 1Requirements relative to the physical properties of the PuO2will depend on the particular MOX fuel pellet fabrication processemployed. For example, the unique physical properties of all of the PuO2(for example, particl
34、e size, tap density, specific surface area, etc.) enteringinto the MOX fuel pellet manufacturing process are essentially erasedwhen the powder is milled in the case where this is a fuel manufacturingstep. Nevertheless, even when no pass-fail criteria on physical propertymeasurements is applicable, t
35、ypical measurement values can be providedas an expected target and measurements can be provided for informationin order to detect process drift, for example. Consistency betweenas-received PuO2batches, reflecting a stable and controlled PuO2powdermanufacturing process, is desirable to minimize any p
36、otential impact onthe MOX fuel pellet manufacturing process.NOTE 2For fuel pellet manufacturing processes that involve blendingof different powders, consideration should be given to the compatibility ofpowders with widely different physical properties within the intendedprocess.7. Sampling7.1 PuO2is
37、 hygroscopic and can absorb sufficient waterduring exposure to a moist atmosphere to cause detectableanalytical errors. Sampling, weighing of the sample, andhandling the sample shall be done under atmospheric condi-tions that do not alter the moisture or impurity content of thesample.7.2 The necessa
38、ry chemical and physical analyses shall beperformed on portions of a representative sample taken fromeach lot.7.2.1 A lot is defined as the quantity of material that isuniform in isotopic, chemical, and physical characteristics.7.2.2 Lots may be formed by blending the powder to ensurehomogeneity wit
39、hin each lot.7.2.3 The mixing of two or more lots shall require theestablishment of a new lot.7.2.4 The identity of a lot shall be retained throughout itsprocessing history.7.2.5 A powder lot shall form the basis for defining sam-pling plans used to establish conformance to this specification.7.3 Sa
40、mpling plans and procedures, including the frequencyand time period for conducting analyses, shall be agreed uponbetween buyer and seller. Analytical confirmation of samplingplans shall be documented as part of the manufacturers qualityassurance and nuclear materials control and accountabilityprogra
41、m.7.4 All sample containers shall be clearly identified by lotnumber and container number.7.5 The sample material shall be packaged so that noforeign material is introduced into the powder during storage orshipment.7.6 Lot AcceptanceAcceptance testing may be performedby the buyer on either the sampl
42、e provided by the seller or asample taken at the buyers plant by sampling one or moreindividual containers with a sample thief. Practice E105 isreferenced as a guide. Acceptance shall be on a lot basis andshall be contingent upon the material properties meeting therequirements of Sections 4 through
43、7.8. Methods of Chemical and Isotopic Analysis8.1 The analytical chemistry methods used shall be asdescribed in Test Method C697 or other methods agreed uponbetween buyer and seller. See, for example, ISO 8300 fordetermination of Pu content in PuO2of nuclear grade quality.9. Quality Assurance9.1 Qua
44、lity assurance requirements shall be agreed uponbetween buyer and seller. Code of Federal Regulations Title 10,Part 50, Appendix B and ASME NQA-1 are referenced asguides.10. Rejection and Rehearing10.1 Rejection and acceptance shall be by lot unless there isprior agreement to do otherwise between th
45、e buyer and seller.10.2 The buyer and seller shall agree to a third party as areferee in the event of a dispute in analytical results.11. Certification11.1 The seller shall test the sample described in theSampling section to ensure conformance of the oxide to therequirements of Sections 4, 5, and 6.
46、11.2 The seller shall provide the buyer documents certifyingthat the oxide meets all the requirements of Sections 4, 5, and6.11.3 The seller shall make available, as requested by thebuyer, records of all data from tests used to meet the require-ments Sections 4, 5, and 6.12. Packaging and Package Ma
47、rking12.1 PuO2powder shall be packaged in sealed containers toprevent loss of material and undue contamination from air orC757 1613the container materials. The exact size and method of packag-ing shall be as mutually agreed upon between the buyer andseller, and in conformance with all applicable reg
48、ulations.12.2 Each container shall bear as a minimum a label on thelid and side with the following information:12.2.1 Sellers name,12.2.2 Material in container,12.2.3 Lot number,12.2.4 Gross, tare, net oxide weights,12.2.5 Plutonium weight, and12.2.6 A unique container reference number.13. Keywords1
49、3.1 mixed oxide; nuclear fuel; plutonium; plutonium diox-ideASTM International takes no position respecting the validity of any patent rights asserted in connection with any item mentionedin this standard. Users of this standard are expressly advised that determination of the validity of any such patent rights, and the riskof infringement of such rights, are entirely their own responsibility.This standard is subject to revision at any time by the responsible technical committee and must be reviewed every five years andif not revised, either reappro
