Elaboration of Uranium Monocarbide Samples for Diffusion Studies

Abstract

Mixed Uranium-Plutonium Carbides are candidate fuels for 4th generation nuclear reactors. In this frame, a research program is underway at CEA (French alternative and atomic energies commission) to gather basic properties of such material to get a better understanding of in-pile behaviour. In the field of solid state physics, the measurement of transport properties and in particular diffusion coefficient requires the preparation of uranium carbide samples with very specific characteristics: very low oxygen content, mono-phased UC, high density (greater than 95% of the theoretical one), coarse microstructure, accurate samples geometry. In this paper the Process development is presented to manufacture such samples and the specific equipments which have been set up in glove-box. Characterizations of the first samples are also given.