Assessing the oxygen stoichiometry during the sintering of (U, Pu)O2 fuel

Diffusion phenomena occurring in ceramics such as (U, Pu)O2 during sintering are affected by the oxygen content in the atmosphere. The latter sets the nature and the concentration of point defects which govern diffusion mechanisms in the bulk of the material. The oxygen partial pressure, pO2, of the sintering gas in equilibrium with mixed oxide (MOX) pellets needs to be precisely controlled; otherwise it may induce a large dispersion in the critical parameters for fuel manufacturing (Gauche, 2013; Matzke, 1987). It is crucial to understand the relation between the sintering atmosphere and the fuel throughout the thermal cycle. In this study, the oxygen potential of the sintering gas was monitored by measuring the oxygen partial pressure (pO2) at the outlet of a dilatometer by means of a zirconia probe. Coupling the thermal cycle with an outlet gas pO2 measurement makes it possible to identify different redox phenomena. Variations in the oxygen stoichiometry can be determined during the sintering of (U, Pu)O2, as well as can its final O/M. Our results make it possible to recommend a sintering atmosphere and sintering thermal cycle in order to obtain an O/M ratio that is as close as possible to the target value.