The development program to identify the critical parameters for the process of converting thorium nitrate solution into thoria powder is described. Thorium oxalate hexahydrate is precipitated from the reaction of thorium nitrate solution with oxalic acid. The resulting thorium oxalate hexahydrate slurry is filter pressed into a cake which is air calcined to form thoria powder. Changes in the critical processing parameters such as free nitric acid content of the thorium nitrate solution, precipitation temperature, and calcining temperature altered the thoria powder characteristics, and thus its capability for being fabricated into fuel pellets. The objective of the powder preparation effort …
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Publisher Info:
Bettis Atomic Power Lab., West Mifflin, PA (USA)
Place of Publication:
West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
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The development program to identify the critical parameters for the process of converting thorium nitrate solution into thoria powder is described. Thorium oxalate hexahydrate is precipitated from the reaction of thorium nitrate solution with oxalic acid. The resulting thorium oxalate hexahydrate slurry is filter pressed into a cake which is air calcined to form thoria powder. Changes in the critical processing parameters such as free nitric acid content of the thorium nitrate solution, precipitation temperature, and calcining temperature altered the thoria powder characteristics, and thus its capability for being fabricated into fuel pellets. The objective of the powder preparation effort was to obtain thoria powders which could be formed by conventional ceramic fabrication techniques into thoria and thoria-urania pellets of high density and high integrity having a nearly uniform large grain structure.
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