Transmutation Of Actinides

An advanced process has been developed on a laboratory scale at the Institute for Transuranium Elements for the fabrication of transmutation fuels and targets. The process consists of the fabrication of highly porous beads using a sol-gel method, their infiltration by a nitrate solution of the relevant actinide, and calcination, compaction, and sintering to give the final product pellets. This work presents the results obtained in the qualification of this process whereby dense paritally-yttria-stabilized zirconia pellets with high contents of cerium and plutonium have been fabricated.