Patent Number: 058825525
Section: abstract

A method is disclosed in which fuel scrap of UO.sub.2 alone or UO.sub.2 containing an oxide of plutonium, gadolinium or erbium is recycled into the manufacture of nuclear fuel pellets. The fuel scrap consisting of defective fuel pellets is comminuted through oxidation to fuel particles of U.sub.3 O.sub.8 alone or U.sub.3 O.sub.8 containing an oxide of plutonium, gadolinium or erbium, and a sintering aid containing an element selected from the group consisting of aluminum, magnesium, niobium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, lithium, silicon, tin and mixtures thereof is added in a quantity of about 0.02% to about 2% by weight to the sintering powder which consists of said recycled fuel particles and fresh fuel powder having a composition of UO.sub.2 alone or UO.sub.2 in a mixture of PuO.sub.2, Gd.sub.2 O.sub.3 or Er.sub.2 O.sub.3. The sintering powder is then mixed uniformly, in which the amount of the recycled fuel particles is in the range of about 10% to about 100% by weight. Green pellets are made by pressing the sintering powder and then sintered at about 1500.degree. C. to about 1800.degree. C. in a reducing atmosphere to produce new fuel pellets.