Effects of High Temperature Treatment and Subsequent Oxidation and Reduction on Powder Property of Simulated Spent Fuel

The simulated spent PWR fuel pellet which is corresponding to the turnup of 33,000 MWD/MTU is prepared by adding 11 fission-product elements to UO. The simulated spent fuel pellet is treated at 40 in air (oxidation), at 110 in air (high-temperature treatment), and at in hydrogen (reduction). The product is treated through additional addition and reduction up to 3 cycles. Pellets are completely pulverized by the first oxidation, and the high-temperature treatment causes particle and crystallite to grow and surface to be smooth, and thus particle size significantly increases and surface area decreases. The reduction following the high-temperature treatment decreases much the particle size by means of the formation of intercrystalline cracks. The particle size decreases a little during the second oxidation and reduction cycle and then remains nearly constant during the third and fourth cycles. Surface area of pounder increases progressively with the repetition of oxidation and reduction cycles, mainly due to the formation of Surface cracks. The degradation of surface area resulting from high-temperature treatment is restored by too subsequent resulting oxidation and reduction cycles.