Ceramic-ceramic composites and process therefor, nuclear fuels formed thereby, and nuclear reactor systems and processes operated therewith

摘要

A process of producing ceramic-ceramic composites, including but not limited to nuclear fuels, and composites capable of exhibiting increased thermal conductivities. The process includes milling a first ceramic material to produce a powder of spheroidized particles of the first ceramic material, and then co-milling particles of a second ceramic material with the spheroidized particles of the first ceramic material to cause the particles of the second ceramic material to form a coating on the spheroidized particles of the first material. The spheroidized particles coated with the particles of the second ceramic material are then compacted and sintered to form the ceramic-ceramic composite, in which the second ceramic material forms a continuous phase completely surrounding the spheroidized particles of the first ceramic material.

主权项

1. A process of producing a ceramic-ceramic composite, the process comprising:
milling a first ceramic material to produce a powder of spheroidized particles of the first ceramic material; co-milling particles of a second ceramic material with the spheroidized particles of the first ceramic material to cause the particles of the second ceramic material to form a coating on the spheroidized particles of the first material; and then compacting and sintering the spheroidized particles coated with the particles of the second ceramic material to form the ceramic-ceramic composite in which the second ceramic material forms a continuous phase completely surrounding the spheroidized particles of the first ceramic material; wherein the first ceramic material is uranium dioxide; wherein the sintering step is performed at a temperature within a range of about 1400° C. to about 1700° C.; wherein the second ceramic material is beryllium oxide.