Synthesis and Remanufacturing of Fuel Materials

This course covers various aspects related to the synthesis and remanufacturing of nuclear fuels. Following a description of the different categories of nuclear fuels, the manufacturing processes used on an industrial scale will be discussed. The various methods of reprocessing (recycling), conversion, and remanufacturing of fuels will be described. The constraints associated with optimizing new fuel materials for Generation III and IV reactors will be discussed, with an emphasis on how these constraints on the materials and their environment have evolved.

Hourly volumes*:

            CM: 12:00 p.m.

            TD: 8:00 a.m.

The objective of this course is to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding nuclear fuel and its life cycle. The course will identify the stresses and strains associated with fuel use in a reactor and detail the challenges related to the synthesis and remanufacturing of fuel materials. An overview of the various synthesis and densification methods applied (or applicable) in a nuclear environment will also be provided. Subsequently, studies aimed at controlling the physicochemical properties of ceramics to optimize their performance under operating conditions will be presented.

Basics of Radioactivity

The Fuel Cycle: From Mine to Waste Management

Ongoing Assessment

Fuel materials for second-generation reactors:

• Description of the combustible material and its immediate surroundings
• Formulation of the specifications with a view to transitioning to a reactor
• Life Cycle of Combustible Materials and External Stresses
• Methods for Preparing Ceramic Materials
• Dry-process syntheses: reactivity, homogeneity …, wet-process syntheses, hydrothermal syntheses
• Preparation of Dedicated Precursors and Correlations Between Precursors and Cohesive Materials
• Compaction of Nuclear Materials / Processing into a Finished Material
• Theoretical Principles of Sintering and the Diffusion Processes Involved
• Tools for Characterizing and Monitoring Densification
• Sintering Processes for Actinide Compounds and Associated Challenges
• Fuel Processing and Reprocessing: From Actinide Solution to Material
• Actinide Conversion Processes - Actinide Recycling and Remanufacturing
• Industrial Conversion Operations
• New combustible materials associated with Generation III and IV reactors
• Overview of the Key Concepts of Generation IV Reactors
• Effects on the evolution of stresses in the fuel material
• Categories of Materials, Methods of Manufacturing, and Methods of Creating Objects
• Case studies related to the synthesis and densification of fuel materials optimized in terms of composition and microstructure

Administrative contact(s): Chemistry Master's Program Office

Master's in Chemistry @ umontpellier.fr