Abstract
Thorium dioxide represents a future of the world market of nuclear fuel for fourth generation nuclear reactors. In this regard, the problems of technologies for thorium separation from irradiated fuel, its conversion into fuel raw materials, and fabrication of required quality fuel products need effective solutions. In this work the synthesis of microcrystalline mesoporous ThO2 powders through the deposition of the oxalate complex from nitrate solutions, and its consolidation by spark plasma sintering (SPS) technology has been studied. The influence of the SPS temperature ranging within 1000–1600°С on the ThO2 powder shrinkage dynamics, phase composition, microstructure, and density of pelletized ceramic products has been studied. Vickers microhardness parameters of samples have been determined. The results show that high-speed (minutes-taking) SPS consolidation of powders at 1600°C and 80 MPa can provide ThO2 ceramics with 92.5% theoretical density. Microcrystalline powders with particle sizes averaging 3-4 µm can be used as raw materials instead of less accessible nanoscale materials. The study shows the expediency and prospects of further studies with the view of SPS technology adaptation for the needs of the nuclear industry.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors thank V.Yu. Maiorov, T.A. Kaidalova, A.N. Fedorets, E.A. Gridasova, A.E. Sukhorad, and K.Yu. Drenina personally and the management of the Far-East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences for providing the raw materials and necessary equipment.
The study used equipment of the shared facilities center “Far-East Structural Research center” (Institute of Chemistry, Far-East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok); the interdisciplinary shared facilities center in nanotechnology and new functional materials; and the shared facilities center of the Laboratory for Mechanical Testing and Structural Studies of Materials (Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok).
Funding
This study was financially supported by the Endowment Fund of the Far Eastern Federal University, which included the fuel products fabrication. The synthesis and physicochemical study of initial fuel raw and also fuel products was financial supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project no. 17-73-20097).
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Translated by O. Fedorova
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Shichalin, O.O., Frolov, K.R., Buravlev, I.Y. et al. Synthesis and Spark Plasma Sintering of Microcrystalline Thorium Dioxide for Nuclear Fuel Products. Russ. J. Inorg. Chem. 65, 1245–1252 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0036023620080148
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0036023620080148