Abstract

The effect of a CAM (Continuous Attrition Mill) treatment on the sinterability of ex-ADU UO_2 powder was investigated. As the cycles of a CAM increased, the apparent density, specific surface area and O/U of the milled powder increased, but there particle sizes decreased. However the sintered density of the UO_2 pellet decreased as the cycles of the CAM increased. It is considered that the decrease of the sintered density is due to the formation of U_3O_8, which was produced by a CAM mechanism.

• Keywords: Milling;Continuous attrition milling;Sintered density;UO_2;O/U ratio;Powder characteristic;