| Title: |
Reactive spark plasma sintering of UAlx + Al powder mixtures, prospects for manufacturing targets for 99Mo production |
| Authors: |
Iltis, Xaviere; Klosek, Vincent; Kim, K.N.; Kim, J.H.; Jeong, Y. J.; Lamy, Stéphanie; Pasturel, Mathieu |
| Contributors: |
Laboratoire de Caractérisation et d'étude des Propriétés des Combustibles (LCPC); Service d'Analyses, d'Elaboration, d'Expérientations et d'Examens des combustibles (SA3E); Département d'Etudes des Combustibles (DEC); Institut de recherche sur les systèmes nucléaires pour la production d'énergie bas carbone (CEA - DES) (IRESNE); Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut de recherche sur les systèmes nucléaires pour la production d'énergie bas carbone (CEA - DES) (IRESNE); Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Département d'Etudes des Combustibles (DEC); Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA); Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Daejeon, south Korea (KAERI); Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes (ISCR); Université de Rennes (UR)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - Rennes (INSA Rennes); Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes (ENSCR)-Institut de Chimie - CNRS Chimie (INC-CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) |
| Source: |
ISSN: 2491-9292. |
| Publisher Information: |
CCSD; EDP Sciences |
| Publication Year: |
2026 |
| Subject Terms: |
[PHYS.COND.CM-MS]Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat]/Materials Science [cond-mat.mtrl-sci] |
| Description: |
International audience ; A U + 5 wt% Al powder (written U-5Al), manufactured by centrifugal atomization, was used in this study to assess the feasability of densifying UAlx + Al powder mixtures by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) and obtaining a final composition with a minimum content of UAl2 that meets specifications of targets for 99Mo production. The microstructure of the U-5Al powder was studied first and mainly consists of a mixture of UAl2 primary dendrites and -U phase. Three SPS conditions differing in terms of UAlx/Al volume ratio and dwell time at 800 K were tested. The sintered discs were characterized by X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. A very quick transformation of the U-5Al particles into a mixture of aluminides (UAl2 + UAl3 + UAl4, referred to UAlx) was evidenced: only a few minutes were sufficient to transform the U-based particles into a mixture of aluminides containing about 80 wt% of UAl3. According to these first tests, this new highly versatile manufacturing process could advantageously replace the conventional method of producing targets, subject to technical adjustements and parametric studies. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| DOI: |
10.1051/epjn/2025080 |
| Availability: |
https://cea.hal.science/cea-05516034; https://cea.hal.science/cea-05516034v1/document; https://cea.hal.science/cea-05516034v1/file/Iltis%20%282026%29%20epjn20250059_SPS%20UAl%2BAl.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1051/epjn/2025080 |
| Rights: |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ; info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.46CE7A32 |
| Database: |
BASE |