1、Designation: C833 01 (Reapproved 2008) C833 13Standard Specification forSintered (Uranium-Plutonium) Dioxide Pellets1This standard is issued under the fixed designation C833; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or, in the case of revision, the year
2、 of 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 standard foruranium-plutonium dioxid
3、e pellets for thermal reactor use. It recognizes the diversity of manufactur-ing methods by which uranium-plutonium dioxide pellets are produced and the many specialrequirements for chemical and physical characterization that may be imposed by the operatingconditions to which the pellets will be sub
4、jected in specific reactor systems. It does not recognize thepossible problems associated with the reprocessing of such pellets. It is, therefore, anticipated that thepurchaser may supplement this specification with additional requirements for specific applications.1. Scope1.1 This specification cov
5、ers finished sintered and ground (uranium-plutonium) dioxide pellets for use in thermal reactors. Itapplies to uranium-plutonium dioxide pellets containing plutonium additions up to 15 % weight. This specification may notcompletely cover the requirements for pellets fabricated from weapons-derived p
6、lutonium.weight (that is, 0.15 g Pu / g(U+Pu+Am).1.2 Pellets produced under this specification are available in four grades.1.2.1 Grade R240Pu content of (Pu+Am) (that is, g 240Pu / g (Pu+Am) is at least 19 %.1.2.2 Grade F240Pu content of (Pu+Am) is at least 7 % and less than 19 %.1.2.3 Grade N1240P
7、u content of (Pu+Am) is less than 7 %.1.2.4 Grade N2240Pu /239Pu does not exceed 0.10.1.3 This specification does not include (1) provisions for preventing criticality accidents or (2) requirements for health andsafety. Observance of this specification does not relieve the user of the obligation to
8、be aware of and conform to all applicableinternational, federal, state, and local regulations pertaining to possessing, processing, shipping, or using source or special nuclearmaterial. Examples of U.S. government documents are Code of Federal Regulations Title 10, Part 50Domestic Licensing ofProduc
9、tion and Utilization Facilities; Code of Federal Regulations Title 10, Part 71Packaging and Transportation of RadioactiveMaterial; and Code of Federal Regulations Title 49, Part 173General Requirements for Shipments and Packaging.1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No o
10、ther units of measurement are included in this standard.1.5 The following safety hazards caveat pertains only to the technical requirements portion, Section 4, of this specification: Thisstandard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the respo
11、nsibility of the userof this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations priorto use.2. Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2C698 Test Methods for Chemical, Mass Spectrometric, and Spectrochemical Analysis of Nuclear-Grad
12、e Mixed Oxides (U,Pu)O2)C753 Specification for Nuclear-Grade, Sinterable Uranium Dioxide Powder1 This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C26 on Nuclear Fuel Cycle and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee C26.02 on Fuel and FertileMaterial Specifications.Current edition
13、 approved Dec. 1, 2008Jan. 1, 2013. Published January 2009January 2013. Originally approved in 1976. Last previous edition approved in 20012008 asC833 01.C833 01(2008). DOI: 10.1520/C0833-01R08.10.1520/C0833-13.2 For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Cu
14、stomer Service at serviceastm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standardsvolume information, refer to the standards Document Summary page on the ASTM website.This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to
15、the previous version. Becauseit may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current versionof the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.Copyright
16、 ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States1C757 Specification for Nuclear-Grade Plutonium Dioxide Powder, SinterableC859 Terminology Relating to Nuclear MaterialsC1165 Test Method for Determining Plutonium by Controlled-Potential Coulomet
17、ry in H2SO4 at a Platinum Working ElectrodeC1204 Test Method for Uranium in Presence of Plutonium by Iron(II) Reduction in Phosphoric Acid Followed byChromium(VI) TitrationC1206 Test Method for Plutonium by Iron (II)/Chromium (VI) Amperometric TitrationC1233 Practice for Determining Equivalent Boron
18、 Contents of Nuclear MaterialsE105 Practice for Probability Sampling of Materials2.2 ANSI Standard:3ANSI/ASME NQA-1 Quality Assurance Requirements for Nuclear Facility Applications2.3 U.S. Government Documents:4USNRC Regulatory Guide 1.126 An Acceptable Model and Related Statistical Methods for the
19、Analysis of Fuel DensificationCode of Federal Regulations Title 10, Part 50 Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization FacilitiesCode of Federal Regulations Title 10, Part 71 Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive MaterialCode of Federal Regulations Title 49, Part 173 General Requirements
20、 for Shipments and Packaging3. Terminology3.1 DefinitionsDefinitions shall be in accordance with Terminology C859.4. Technical Requirements4.1 Chemical RequirementsAll chemical analyses shall be performed on portions of the representative sample prepared inaccordance with Section 6. Analytical chemi
21、stry methods shall be as stated in Test Methods C698 (latest edition) or demonstratedequivalent as mutually agreed to between the buyer and the seller.4.1.1 Uranium and Plutonium ContentUnless agreed upon by the buyer and seller, individual powders shall meet therequirements of Specifications C753 a
22、nd C757, which also reference Test Methods C1165, C1204, and C1206. The uranium andplutonium contents combined shall be a minimum of 87.7 % weight on a dry weight basis compensated for the Am-241 content.(Dry weight is defined as the sample weight minus the moisture content). The plutonium content s
23、hall be that specified by thebuyer, up to the limits covered in this specification (15 %).4.1.2 Impurity ContentThe impurity content shall not exceed the individual element limit specified in Table 1 based on theheavy metal content (uranium plus plutonium). The summation of the contribution of each
24、of the impurity elements listed in Table1 shall not exceed 1500 g/g (U + P).Pu). If an element analysis is reported as “less than” a given concentration, this “less than”value shall be used in the determination of total impurities.NOTE 1Higher impurity limits should be acceptable for restricted burn
25、ups and linear power ratings if there is evidence to substantiate the relaxation.Higher impurity levels of 450 ppm aluminum, 250 ppm carbon, 250 ppm nitrogen, and 450 ppm silicon have been supported for burnups of less than35 000 MWd/t. The extension of the burnup limit may be determined by agreemen
26、t between the buyer and seller as supporting data are accumulated.4.1.3 StoichiometryThe oxygen-to-heavy metal ratio of sintered fuel pellets shall be within the range from 1.98 to 2.02. Thenominal value and allowable tolerance shall be agreed upon between the buyer and seller.4.1.4 Moisture Content
27、The moisture content limit is included in the total hydrogen limit (see Table 1).3 Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, http:/www.ansi.org.4 Available from U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, 732 N. Capit
28、ol St., NW, Mail Stop: SDE, Washington, DC 20401, http:/www.access.gpo.gov.TABLE 1 Impurity Elements and Maximum Concentration LimitsElement Maximum ConcentrationLimit (g/g of U + Pu)Aluminum 250Carbon 100Calcium + magnesium 200Chlorine 25Chromium 250Cobalt 100Fluorine 25Hydrogen (total from allsour
29、ces)1.3Iron 500Nickel 250Nitride/nitrogen 75Silicon 250C833 1324.1.5 Gas ContentThe gas content, exclusive of moisture, shall not exceed, at Standard Temperature and Pressure (0C andone atmosphere), 0.05 L/kg of the heavy metal content.4.1.6 Americium-241 ContentThe americium-241 content shall be me
30、asured by the seller and reported to the buyer. Theamericium-241 content or activity is important in the handling of UO2-PuO2 pellets and will vary with time. The maximumacceptable americium-241 content on a given date along with the date of analysis shall be agreed upon between the buyer andseller.
31、 The dates of separation of plutonium from this isotope and the analysis dates shall be considered; methods of reporting shallbe agreed upon between the buyer and seller.4.2 Nuclear Requirements:4.2.1 Isotopic ContentThe isotopic composition shall comply with the requirements of Table 2. The isotopi
32、c content of theamericium, uranium, and plutonium in the (uranium-plutonium) dioxide pellets shall be determined and the date of thedetermination recorded. The 234U, 235U, 236U, and 238U content of the uranium shall be reported as a mass percentage with respectto total uranium, and the 238Pu, 239Pu,
33、240Pu, 241Pu, and 242Pu content of the plutonium shall be reported on a Pu mass % or on(Pu + Am) mass % basis. The equivalent plutonium content based on uranium and plutonium isotopic concentrations shall be asagreed upon between the buyer and seller.4.2.2 Plutonium Equivalent at a Given Date(uraniu
34、m-plutonium) dioxide fuel shall be considered as defined by the plutoniumcontent with adjustment (credit or debit) for the actual isotopic composition of plutonium, americium, and uranium. The dates ofisotopic analyses in support of these determinations shall be recorded by the seller and reported t
35、o the buyer. The allowabletolerances tolerances of the plutonium equivalent content (either as uranium plus plutonium or as the individual elements) shallbe as agreed upon between the buyer and seller.4.2.3 Equivalent Boron ContentFor thermal reactor use, the total equivalent boron content (EBC) sha
36、ll not exceed 4.0 g/gon a heavy metal basis. The method of performing the calculation shall be as indicated in Practice C1233. For the purposes of EBCcalculation, B, Gd, Eu, Dy, Sm, and Cd shall be included.4.2.4 ReactivityAn integral test of reactivity may be performed and correlated to total EBC b
37、y a method agreed upon betweenthe buyer and the seller. If this is done, a total EBC need not be determined.4.3 Physical Characteristics:4.3.1 DimensionsThe dimensions and their tolerances of the pellet and their tolerances shall be specified by the buyer. Theseshall include diameter, length, perpen
38、dicularity, and, as required, other geometric parameters including surface finish.4.3.2 Pellet DensityThe density and tolerance of sintered pellets shall be as specified by the buyer. The theoretical density forUO2 shall be considered to be 10.96 g/cm3. The theoretical density for PuO2 shall be cons
39、idered to be 11.46 g/cm3. The theoreticaldensity for the (U, Pu)O2 pellets shall be calculated by linear interpolation between these values. Density measurements shall bemade by the method stated in Specification C753 (for the geometric method)method), by an immersion density technique, or bydemonst
40、rated equivalent method as mutually agreed upon between the buyer and the seller.4.3.3 Grain Size and Pore MorphologyBecause there is no unique structure for ensuring satisfactory performance, the pelletgrain size and pore morphology shall be mutually agreed upon between the buyer and the seller.4.3
41、.4 Plutonium-Oxide Homogeneity and Size:4.3.4.1 Plutonium Homogeneity Within a Pellet LotHomogeneity of the Pu content shall be demonstrated through analysesof multiple pellets. Each sample for analysis should be one pellet or a fragment thereof. The range of the equivalent Pu contentshall not excee
42、d 65.0% relative or 60.2% absolute, whichever is less restrictive. Alternative methods and criteria that may beagreed upon between the buyer and the seller are possible for evaluation of plutonium homogeneity within a lot.4.3.4.2 Plutonium-OxidePlutonium-Rich Particle Size and Distribution Within a
43、PelletThe For pellets produced by a mastermix process, the maximum equivalent diameter of Pu-rich particles shall be less than 400 m. The distribution of Pu-rich particlesshall satisfy either of the following requirements: (a) No more than 5 % of the nominal PuO2 shall be present in Pu-rich particle
44、swith equivalent diameters of 200 m or greater, or (b) No more than 5 % of the Pu-rich particles shall be greater than 100 m indiameter and the average diameter of Pu-rich particles will be less than 50 m. The method for determining the Pu homogeneityand what constitutes a Pu-rich particle shall be
45、agreed upon between the buyer and seller. The area percentage and the volumepercentage shall be regarded as equivalent provided the homogeneity requirements of 4.3.4.1 are satisfied.NOTE 2These limits are based on PuOapply to all grades.2 that has a nominal 65% fissle plutonium content. Smaller part
46、icle size may be requiredfor greater fissle plutonium content.The composition of the master mix may be adjusted as needed to accommodate the isotopics.4.3.5 Pellet IntegrityPellets shall be inspected according to criteria which maintain adequate fuel performance and ensure thatexcessive breakage wil
47、l not occur during fuel rod loading. Acceptable test methods include a visual (1X) comparison with pelletstandards or other methods, for example, loadability tests, approved by both the buyer and the seller.4.3.5.1 Surface CracksThe limits for surface cracks are as follows:TABLE 2 Isotopic Requireme
48、ntsCharacteristic Grade R Grade F Grade N1 Grade N2240Pu content, g 240Pu/g (Pu+Am) $ 0.19 $ 0.07 and 0.19 0.07 . . .240Pu/239Pu, g 240Pu/g 239Pu . . . . . . . . . # 0.10C833 133(1) Axial Cracks, including those leading to pellet ends12 the pellet length.(2) Circumferential Cracks13 of the pellet ci
49、rcumference.4.3.5.2 ChipsThe limits for chips (missing material) are as follows:(1) Cylindrical Surface Chips(a) Cylindrical Surface Areathe total area of all chips shall be less than 5 % of the pellet cylindrical surface area.(b) Maximum Linear Dimension30 % of the pellet length.the maximum linear dimension shall be established tomaintain adequate fuel performance in the intended application and shall be agreed upon between the buyer and the seller.(2) Pellet Ends1/3 of the pellet end surfaces (may be inspected as 1/3 of the m
