ASTM C833-13
(Specification)Standard Specification for Sintered (Uranium-Plutonium) Dioxide Pellets
Standard Specification for Sintered (Uranium-Plutonium) Dioxide Pellets
ABSTRACT
This specification covers finished sintered and ground (uranium-plutonium) dioxide pellets for use in thermal reactors. It applies to uranium-plutonium dioxide pellets containing plutonium additions up to 15 % weight. The diversity of manufacturing methods shall be recognized by which uranium-plutonium dioxide pellets are produced and the many special requirements for chemical and physical characterization that may be imposed by the operating conditions to which the pellets will be subjected in specific reactor systems. The following are different chemical requirements that shall be determined: uranium content, plutonium content, impurity content, stoichiometry, moisture content, gas content, and americium-241 content. Nuclear requirements such as isotopic content, plutonium equivalent at a given date, equivalent boron content, and reactivity shall also be determined. Physical properties of the pellets like dimensions, density, grain size, pore morphology, plutonium-oxide homogeneity, plutonium-oxide particle size, plutonium-oxide particle distribution, integrity, and surface cracks shall be determined as well. The surfaces of finished pellets shall be visually free of loose chips, oil, macroscopic inclusions, and foreign materials. An estimate of the fuel pellet irradiation stability shall be obtained unless adequate allowance for such effects are factored into the fuel rod design. The estimate of the stability shall consist of either conformance to the thermal stability test as specified in the or by adequate correlation of manufacturing process or microstructure to in-reactor behavior, or both.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification covers finished sintered and ground (uranium-plutonium) dioxide pellets for use in thermal reactors. It applies to uranium-plutonium dioxide pellets containing plutonium additions up to 15 % weight (that is, 0.15 g Pu / g (U+Pu+Am)).
1.2 Pellets produced under this specification are available in four grades.
1.2.1 Grade R—240Pu content of (Pu+Am) (that is, g 240Pu / g (Pu+Am)) is at least 19 %.
1.2.2 Grade F—240Pu content of (Pu+Am) is at least 7 % and less than 19 %.
1.2.3 Grade N1—240Pu content of (Pu+Am) is less than 7 %.
1.2.4 Grade N2—240Pu /239Pu does not exceed 0.10.
1.3 This specification does not include (1) provisions for preventing criticality accidents or (2) requirements for health and safety. Observance of this specification does not relieve the user of the obligation to be aware of and conform to all applicable international, federal, state, and local regulations pertaining to possessing, processing, shipping, or using source or special nuclear material. Examples of U.S. government documents are Code of Federal Regulations Title 10, Part 50—Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities; Code of Federal Regulations Title 10, Part 71—Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Material; and Code of Federal Regulations Title 49, Part 173—General Requirements for Shipments and Packaging.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.5 The following safety hazards caveat pertains only to the technical requirements portion, Section 4, of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
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Designation:C833 −13
Standard Specification for
1
Sintered (Uranium-Plutonium) Dioxide Pellets
This standard is issued under the fixed designation C833; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
INTRODUCTION
This specification is intended to provide the nuclear industry with a general standard for
uranium-plutonium dioxide pellets for thermal reactor use. It recognizes the diversity of manufactur-
ing methods by which uranium-plutonium dioxide pellets are produced and the many special
requirements for chemical and physical characterization that may be imposed by the operating
conditions to which the pellets will be subjected in specific reactor systems. It does not recognize the
possible problems associated with the reprocessing of such pellets. It is, therefore, anticipated that the
purchaser may supplement this specification with additional requirements for specific applications.
1. Scope Federal RegulationsTitle 49, Part 173—General Requirements
for Shipments and Packaging.
1.1 This specification covers finished sintered and ground
(uranium-plutonium) dioxide pellets for use in thermal reac-
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as
tors.Itappliestouranium-plutoniumdioxidepelletscontaining
standard. No other units of measurement are included in this
plutonium additions up to 15 % weight (that is, 0.15 g Pu / g
standard.
(U+Pu+Am)).
1.5 The following safety hazards caveat pertains only to the
1.2 Pellets produced under this specification are available in
technical requirements portion, Section 4, of this specification:
four grades.
240 240 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety
1.2.1 Grade R— Pu content of (Pu+Am) (that is, g Pu
concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility
/ g (Pu+Am)) is at least 19 %.
240
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and
1.2.2 Grade F— Pu content of (Pu+Am) is at least 7 %
health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory
and less than 19 %.
240
limitations prior to use.
1.2.3 Grade N1— Pu content of (Pu+Am) is less than 7
%.
240 239
2. Referenced Documents
1.2.4 Grade N2— Pu / Pu does not exceed 0.10.
2
1.3 This specification does not include (1) provisions for
2.1 ASTM Standards:
preventing criticality accidents or (2) requirements for health
C698 Test Methods for Chemical, Mass Spectrometric, and
andsafety.Observanceofthisspecificationdoesnotrelievethe
Spectrochemical Analysis of Nuclear-Grade Mixed Ox-
user of the obligation to be aware of and conform to all
ides ((U, Pu)O )
2
applicable international, federal, state, and local regulations
C753 Specification for Nuclear-Grade, Sinterable Uranium
pertaining to possessing, processing, shipping, or using source
Dioxide Powder
or special nuclear material. Examples of U.S. government
C757 Specification for Nuclear-Grade Plutonium Dioxide
documents are Code of Federal Regulations Title 10, Part
Powder, Sinterable
50—Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facili-
C859 Terminology Relating to Nuclear Materials
ties; Code of Federal RegulationsTitle 10, Part 71—Packaging
C1233 Practice for Determining Equivalent Boron Contents
and Transportation of Radioactive Material; and Code of
of Nuclear Materials
E105 Practice for Probability Sampling of Materials
1
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C26 on
Nuclear Fuel Cycle and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee C26.02 on Fuel
2
and Fertile Material Specifications. For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
Current edition approved Jan. 1, 2013. Published January 2013. Originally contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
approvedin1976.Lastpreviouseditionapprovedin2008asC833 – 01(2008).DOI: Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
10.1520/C0833-13. the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
1
---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
C833−13
3
burnups of less than 35 000 MWd/t. The extension of the burnup limit
2.2 ANSI Standard:
may be determined by agreement between the buyer and seller as
ANSI/ASME NQA-1 Quality Assurance Requirements for
supporting data are accumulated.
Nuclear Facility Applications
4
4.1.3 Stoichiometry—The oxygen-to-heavy metal ratio of
2.3 U.S. Government Documents:
sinteredfuelpelletsshallbewithintherangefrom1.98to2.02.
USNRC Regulatory Guide 1.126 An Acceptable Model and
The nominal value and allowable tolerance shall be ag
...
This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation: C833 − 01 (Reapproved 2008) C833 − 13
Standard Specification for
1
Sintered (Uranium-Plutonium) Dioxide Pellets
This standard is issued under the fixed designation C833; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
INTRODUCTION
This specification is intended to provide the nuclear industry with a general standard for
uranium-plutonium dioxide pellets for thermal reactor use. It recognizes the diversity of manufactur-
ing methods by which uranium-plutonium dioxide pellets are produced and the many special
requirements for chemical and physical characterization that may be imposed by the operating
conditions to which the pellets will be subjected in specific reactor systems. It does not recognize the
possible problems associated with the reprocessing of such pellets. It is, therefore, anticipated that the
purchaser may supplement this specification with additional requirements for specific applications.
1. Scope
1.1 This specification covers finished sintered and ground (uranium-plutonium) dioxide pellets for use in thermal reactors. It
applies to uranium-plutonium dioxide pellets containing plutonium additions up to 15 % weight. This specification may not
completely cover the requirements for pellets fabricated from weapons-derived plutonium.weight (that is, 0.15 g Pu / g
(U+Pu+Am)).
1.2 Pellets produced under this specification are available in four grades.
240 240
1.2.1 Grade R— Pu content of (Pu+Am) (that is, g Pu / g (Pu+Am)) is at least 19 %.
240
1.2.2 Grade F— Pu content of (Pu+Am) is at least 7 % and less than 19 %.
240
1.2.3 Grade N1— Pu content of (Pu+Am) is less than 7 %.
240 239
1.2.4 Grade N2— Pu / Pu does not exceed 0.10.
1.3 This specification does not include (1) provisions for preventing criticality accidents or (2) requirements for health and
safety. Observance of this specification does not relieve the user of the obligation to be aware of and conform to all applicable
international, federal, state, and local regulations pertaining to possessing, processing, shipping, or using source or special nuclear
material. Examples of U.S. government documents are Code of Federal Regulations Title 10, Part 50—Domestic Licensing of
Production and Utilization Facilities; Code of Federal Regulations Title 10, Part 71—Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive
Material; and Code of Federal Regulations Title 49, Part 173—General Requirements for Shipments and Packaging.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.5 The following safety hazards caveat pertains only to the technical requirements portion, Section 4, of this specification: This
standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user
of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior
to use.
2. Referenced Documents
2
2.1 ASTM Standards:
C698 Test Methods for Chemical, Mass Spectrometric, and Spectrochemical Analysis of Nuclear-Grade Mixed Oxides ((U,
Pu)O )
2
C753 Specification for Nuclear-Grade, Sinterable Uranium Dioxide Powder
1
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C26 on Nuclear Fuel Cycle and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee C26.02 on Fuel and Fertile
Material Specifications.
Current edition approved Dec. 1, 2008Jan. 1, 2013. Published January 2009January 2013. Originally approved in 1976. Last previous edition approved in 20012008 as
C833 – 01.C833 – 01(2008). DOI: 10.1520/C0833-01R08.10.1520/C0833-13.
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
1
---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
C833 − 13
C757 Specification for Nuclear-Grade Plutonium Dioxide Powder, Sinterable
C859 Terminology Relating to Nuclear Materials
C1165 Test Method for Determining Plutonium by Controlled-Potential Coulometry in H SO at a Platinum Working Electrode
2 4
C1204 Test
...
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