DE2741820

The mfr. of nuclear fuels of UO2 contg. defined amts. of PuO2, which are soluble in nitric acid, involves (a) mixing uranium oxide and plutonium oxide in powder form, the proportion of PuO2 being 15-50 wt.%; (b) preparing granulated mixed oxide material by grinding and pressing; (c) fritting and grinding again the granulared material, pref. to a granule size 2 mu m, then pressing and granulating it. (d) mixing this granulated material with granulated UO2 to reach the UO2/PuO2 ratio required and (e) subsequently converting this mixt. into tablets of nuclear fuel by conventional methods. The prods. from stage (c) can be stored before being treated in stages (d) and (e). The UO2 introduced at stage (d) is pref. consistent, as regards density, grain form and fritting capacity, with the granulated UO2/PuO2 of stage (c). The fraction of PuO2 can be regulated so that the intermediate prod. from stage (c) is directly suitable for the mfr. of nuclear fuel material for fast nuclear reactors.