Densification behaviour and sintering kinetics Of PuO2 pellets

The sintering behaviour of PuO2 pellets has been studied using a dilatomete r in inert, reducing and oxidising atmospheres. The shrinkage rate was foun d to be maximum for pellets sintered in Ar-8%, H-2 atmosphere. The mechanis m for the initial stage of sintering was determined using rate controlled s intering (RCS) technique and was found to be volume diffusion for both iner t and reducing atmospheres. The activation energy for the initial stages of sintering was found to be 210 and 159 kJ/mol for Ar and Ar-8% H-2 atmosphe res, respectively. The mechanism for the sintering in oxidising atmospheres could not be evaluated using RCS technique. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.