Book Description

The development of the fabrication process and preparation of 144 coextruded fuel elements for the TransPlutonium Program are described. The fuel elements were in the form of coextruded rods, 0.94 in. in diameter and 60 in. in length. The cladding was aluminum (X-8001 alloy) and was 0.040 to 0.120 in. thick. The fuel cores were aluminum-7.35 wt.% plutonium alloy. The fuel elements were coextruded in an extrusion press which was mounted in a plutonium- contaminated glove box. The extruded elements were easily decontaminated. The cast fuel cores for the coextrusion billets were machined only on one end. The fuel elements are currently under irradiation. (auth).