METHOD FOR PREPARING UAL2 POWDER AND UAL2 POWDER PREPARED ACCORDING TO THE SAME

The present invention relates to a method for preparing UAl2 powder and UAl 2 powder prepared according to the same, and more particularly, provides a method for preparing UA 2 powder, 5 which includes: mixing an aluminum ingot and a uranium ingot such that aluminum is mixed in a range of 10 weight% to 25 weight% with respect to the total weight of the mixture, and then melting the mixture under a vacuum atmosphere (step 1); and preparing the molten alloy melted in the step 1 into 10 powder by using a centrifugal atomization method (step 2). In a method for preparing UA-l 2 powder of the present invention, UAl2 powder may be selectively prepared by centrifugal atomizing a molten alloy of uranium and aluminum having a specific composition. Since the UAl 2 powder shows 15 good irradiation performance and has a high uranium density, the volume of a fuel particle may be reduced. Also, since a process is simple, an yield rate may be improved to obtain a lot of powder. Furthermore, since the UAl 2 is prepared in a small size, the swelling of UAl 2 is low according to neutron 20 irradiation and a temperature change to be suitable for preparing a target. Since the UAl 2 is small and has a spherical shape, thereby reducing a defective rate such as a thickness reduction of a cladding material due to an excessive dog-bone when a rolling process is performed after preparing a 25 powder compact, and thereby by raising a uranium content in a target. [Fig 1] < TYPICAL ,-c PRESENT INVENTION> I---7- Vactmn De~sRrn ---d--1--- _______________---_ -i- --- --- Co cIN3(,at i&tno htci .acio --- --- --- -- o--- ~f~* ~ Mahinig to1k Srai~tonig3o -- -- --- -- --- -- --a-- --- --o-g-- ---a p- -- --- -- --- -- ---t- -- -- --- -- --- -- --- -- --- Irradiation~~~ A ofA~~ Snp ) \ oi tdIitn