ASTM C785-93e1

Standard Specification for Nuclear-Grade Aluminum Oxide Pellets (Withdrawn 2002)

SCOPE
1.1 This specification applies to pellets of aluminum oxide that may be ultimately used in a reactor core design, for example, as filler or spacers within fuel, burnable poison, or control rods. In order to distinguish between the subject pellets and "burnable poison" pellets, it is established that the subject pellets are not intended to be used as neutron-absorbing material.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 31-Dec-1992
• Withdrawal Date: 09-May-2002
• ICS: 27.120.30 - Fissile materials and nuclear fuel technology
• ICS: 71.060.20 - Oxides
• Technical Committee: C26 - Nuclear Fuel Cycle
• Drafting Committee: C26.03 - Neutron Absorber Materials Specifications

Relations

• Replaced By: ASTM C785-08 - Standard Specification for Nuclear-Grade Aluminum Oxide Pellets
• Effective Date: 01-Dec-2008
• Referred By: ASTM C809-19 - Standard Test Methods for Chemical, Mass Spectrometric, and Spectrochemical Analysis of Nuclear-Grade Aluminum Oxide and Aluminum<brk/>Oxide-Boron Carbide Composite Pellets
• Effective Date: 01-Jan-1993

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
e1
Designation: C 785 – 93
Standard Specification for
Nuclear-Grade Aluminum Oxide Pellets
This standard is issued under the fixed designation C 785; 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 (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
e NOTE—Paragraphs 5.1.2 and 12.1 were corrected editorially in March 1994.
1. Scope 3. Terminology
1.1 This specification applies to pellets of aluminum oxide 3.1 Definitions—Terms shall be defined in accordance with
that may be ultimately used in a reactor core design, for Terminology C 859 except for the following:
example, as filler or spacers within fuel, burnable poison, or 3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
control rods. In order to distinguish between the subject pellets 3.2.1 buyer—organization issuing the purchase order.
and “burnable poison” pellets, it is established that the subject 3.2.2 pellet—fabricatedgeometricshapeofaluminumoxide
pellets are not intended to be used as neutron-absorbing having a chemical composition as described in Section 4.
material. 3.2.3 pellet lot—that quantity of pellets produced from one
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the aluminum oxide powder lot using one set of process param-
standard. The values given in parentheses are for information eters whose limits have been agreed upon between the seller
only. and the buyer.
3.2.4 powder lot—a specified quantity of aluminum oxide
2. Referenced Documents
powder made up of powders from one or more sources blended
2.1 ASTM Standards: together such that samples taken in accordance with 7.1 can be
C 559 Test Method for Bulk Density by Physical Measure-
considered as representative of the entire specified quantity.
ments of Manufactured Carbon and Graphite Articles 3.2.5 seller—aluminum oxide pellet supplier.
C 809 Methods for Chemical, Mass Spectrometric, and
4. Chemical Composition
Spectrochemical Analysis of Nuclear-Grade Aluminum
Oxide and Aluminum Oxide-Boron Carbide Composite 4.1 Use analytical chemistry methods in accordance with
Pellets MethodsC 809ordemonstratedalternatemethodsagreedupon
C 859 Terminology Relating to Nuclear Materials between the buyer and the seller.
E 105 Practice for Probability Sampling of Materials 4.2 The finished aluminum oxide pellets shall conform to
2.2 ANSI Standard: the following chemical analysis:
ANSI/ASME NQA-1 Quality Assurance Program Require-
B O + boric acid 0.01 weight % max
2 3
Si 2.0 weight % max
ments for Nuclear Facilities
Fe + Cr + Ni 0.6 weight % max
2.3 U.S. Government Document:
Mg 1.0 weight % max
Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Part 50, Energy
Na 0.2 weight % max
Ca 0.3 weight % max
(10CFR50) Domestic Licensing of Production and Utili-
Hf 200 µg/g pellet max
zation Facilities
F 50 µg/g pellet max
F + Cl + I + Br 100 µg/g pellet max
Any element impurity not listed in 4.2 shall not exceed 1
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C-26 on
Nuclear Fuel Cycle and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee C26.03 on
weight % as determined by emission spectroscopy. The sum of
Neutron Absorber Materials Specifications.
all impurities shall not exceed 4.0 weight %.
Current edition approved Nov. 15, 1993. Published February 1994. Originally
4.2.1 The total equivalent boron content (EBC) of the
published as C 785 – 76. Last previous edition C 785 – 87.
finished aluminum oxide pellets shall not exceed 400 mg/g on
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 15.01.
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 12.01.
apelletweightbasis.ThetotalEBCisthesumoftheindividual
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.02.
EBC values. Table 1 is a list of elements to be considered in
Available from American National Standards Institute, 11 W. 42nd St., 13th
calculating the total EBC. The EBC of each impurity element
Floor, New York, NY 10036.
Available from Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
shall be calculated individually using the following equation:
Office, Washington, DC 20402.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
C 785
TABLE 1 Equivalent Boron Content Factors
5.4.1 End Chips—Pellet end surface shall not be chipped
Neutron beyond 10 % of the end-face surface area and no chip shall
Absorption
exceed 1.0 mm (0.040 in.) in depth.
Atomic EBC
Element Cross Section,
B
Weight Factor
5.4.2 Circumferential Chips—Pellet circumferential sur-
2200 m/s
A
(barns) faces shall not be chipped beyond 5 % of the circumferential
C
surface area. No single chip shall exceed a depth of 1.0 mm
Boron 764 10.81 1.0000
Gadolinium 48 890 157.25 4.3991
(0.040 in.).
Samarium 5670 150.36 0.5336
5.4.3 Cracks—Cracks not exceeding 90° of circumference
Europium 4565 151.97 0.4250
in length are acceptable provided the other requirements of the
Dysprosium 940 162.50 0.0818
A
specification are met.
Holden,N.E.,“NeutronCrossSectionsPartsAandB,ThermalCrossSections
and Residence Parameters,” Vol 1, edited by S. F. Mughabghsab, Academic
5.4.4 Fissures and other defects shall be evaluated with
Press, New York, NY, 1981 and 1984.
respect to the criteria of 5.4.1, 5.4.2, and 5.4.3.
B
Holden, N. E., and Martin, R. L., Pure Applied Chemistry, Vol 56, 653 (1984)
and Holden, N. E., private communication, January 1986.
C
6. Cleanliness
Crosssectionisprimarilyduetoasingleisotope,whoseisotopicabundanceis
variableinnature.Valuecanvarybetween733and779barnsdependinguponthe
6.1 The finished pellets shall be handled in a manner to
source. (See Holden, N. E., “Neutron Capture Cross Section Standards for
avoid contamination by grinding fluids and dust, cleaning
BNL-325 Fourth Edition,” BNL-NCS-51388, January 1981.)
agents, and organic materials such as plastics and paper used in
packaging. Cleaning solutions, if used, shall be free of halides
or nonvolatile a
...