Open AccessTHE MEASUREMENT OF OXYGEN TO METAL RATIO IN SOLID SOLUTIONS OF URANIUM AND PLUTONIUM DIOXIDES
Author(s) -
W.L. Lyon
Publication year - 1963
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/4105263
Subject(s) - plutonium , pellets , uranium , gravimetric analysis , uranium oxide , oxide , oxygen , metal , radiochemistry , hydrogen , uranium dioxide , actinide , materials science , chemistry , nuclear chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , metallurgy , environmental chemistry , organic chemistry , composite material
A survey was made of methods potentially useful for the determination of the oxygen to metal ratio in mixed oxides of uranium and plutonium. A gravimetric method was selected as being the most promising for adaptation in a short period of time. Development of the technique resulted in a reliable method which meets the requirements for unirradiated mixed oxide fuel samples. The method, based upon an equilibrium weight at 700 deg C in dry hydrogen, was shown to be capable of measurement of O/(Pu + U) ratios in 20% PuO/sub 2/--80% UO/sub 2/ pellets with a standard deviation of plus or minus 0.001. (auth