Patent ID: 6984344

Claim:
Process for producing a composite material consisting of aggregates of a blend of ground UO 2 and PuO 2 powder dispersed in a UO 2 matrix, comprising the following steps of: (a) dry co-grinding a UO 2 powder and a PuO 2 powder so as to obtain a homogenous primary blend, (b) consolidating the primary blend so as to obtain cohesive aggregates of the UO 2 —PuO 2 blend, wherein the blend consolidation step in order to obtain cohesive aggregates comprises the following steps of: (b1) compacting the homogenous primary blend at a pressure in the range of 150 to 600 MPa in order to obtain a blank, (b2) crushing the blank obtained in order to obtain granules, and (b3) spheroidising the granules, or in lieu of steps (b1)–(b3) the blend consolidation step in order to obtain cohesive aggregates is carried out using heat treatment of the primary blend at a temperature of 1000 to 1400° C., (c) sieving the aggregates between 20 and 350 um, (d) diluting the sieved aggregates in the UO 2 matrix so as to obtain a powder blend, (e) pelleting the powder blend, and (f) sintering the pellets obtained in order to obtain the composite.