Method for the production of spherical combustible or fertile material particles

US8535579B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Nukem Technologies GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Werner Heit · Großenhausen, DE
• Martin Kadner · Hamburg, DE
• Georg Braehler · Somborn, DE
• Karl Froschauer · Alzenau, DE
• Guo Wenli · Beijing, CN
• Liang Tonxiang · Beijing, CN
• Tang Chunhe · Beijing, CN
• Yaping Tang · 红钢城街道, CN

Key dates

• Filing date: May 20, 2008
• Grant date: Sep 17, 2013
• Expiry date: Jan 25, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E30/30
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A method for the production of spherical combustible or fertile material particles from an oxide of the group of the heavy metals uranium, plutonium, or mixtures thereof. For this purpose, the process steps of producing a base solution of the nitrates of the heavy metal(s), adding at least one first reagent in order to adjust the viscosity of the solution, dropping the solution to form microspheres, at least superficially solidifying the microspheres in an atmosphere containing ammonia, collecting the microspheres in a solution containing ammonia, and subsequent washing, drying and thermal treatment are carried out, where at least one of urea, ammonium carbonate, ammonium hydrogen carbonate, ammonium cyanate, and biuret are added to the base solution before adding the first reagent. The solution thus prepared is heated to a temperature T where 80° C.≦T<Ts and where Ts=boiling temperature of the solution, and is maintained at the temperature over a time period t where 2 h≦t≦8 h.