Preparation process of neptunium oxide target pellets

Abstract

The invention belongs to the field of nuclear material preparation and provides a preparation technology of a neptunium oxide target pellet for solving the problems that an existing preparation technology of a neptunium oxide target is relatively low in overall neptunium loading capacity, relatively high in production cost and relatively complicated in process. The technology comprises the following steps: (1) taking neptunium oxide powder and magnesium oxide powder as a target pellet material; (2) taking out part of neptunium oxide powder and mixing with the magnesium oxide powder to obtain preliminarily mixed powder; (3) adding the remaining neptunium oxide powder and further mixing with stearic acid to obtain mixed powder; (4) carrying out cold press molding to prepare a target pellet body; and (5) carrying out pressureless sintering to prepare the neptunium oxide target pellet. The preparation technology has the advantages of being simple in technological process and low in cost; the prepared neptunium oxide target pellet is high in overall neptunium loading capacity and high in neutron utilization rate, has relatively high thermal conductivity and good in-pile irradiation performance, and is convenient to chemically dissolve and extract and suitable for massive production of 238Pu fuel.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention belongs to the field of nuclear material preparation, and in particular relates to a process for preparing neptunium oxide target pellets. Background technique [0002] 238 Pu is an important nuclear material in the field of space nuclear energy, and it is an ideal fuel for radioisotope power and heat sources required for space activities. Taking the United States as an example, in the past 60 years of space exploration missions, the 42 radioisotope power systems carried on the spacecraft launched by the United States have chosen 238 Pu as fuel. [0003] Currently, 238 The production of Pu is mainly by irradiation in the reactor 237 Np way to achieve, the principle is: 237 Np undergoes (n,γ) reaction under neutron irradiation to produce 238 Np nuclides, produced 238 Np undergoes beta decay to generate 238 Pu. [0004] Based on the above principles, the Savannah River Laboratory in the United States developed NpO 2 - Al diffusion...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0006] In order to solve the problems of low overall neptunium loading, high production cost and complicated process in the existing neptunium oxide target preparation process, the present invention provides a neptunium oxide target pellet preparation process