Seversk Technological Institute of National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI”, Seversk, Russia

I. V. Vasilkov, Post Graduate Student

V. P. Pishchulin, Professor, e-mail: pischulin@ssti.ru

F. V. Makarov, Head of Department

In this work the justification and selection of high-density nuclear fuel of dispersive heatgenerating elements of research reactors on the bases of uranium-molybdenum alloy are presented. Authors showed the necessity of extraction of uranium-molybdenum alloy granules from production turnovers and returning them for manufacturing the heat-generating elements. The extraction of uranium-molybdenum alloy granules from the waste fuel compositions, containing dispersion of fissile materials in aluminum matrix, was considered. The alkaline treatment during nuclear fuel regeneration from different types of recirculated materials was shown. The authors designed technology and instrument-technological scheme of extraction of uranium-molybdenum alloy return granules from aluminum matrix. The sequence of return recycling operations for extraction of nuclear fuel granules was determined. The nuclear fuel regeneration technology was proposed and tested in the production conditions; the optimal regeneration process conditions were determined. According to the electronscanning microscopy and microprobe X-ray analysis the extracted nuclear fuel granules meet the requirements for nuclear fuel made of U—9% Mo alloy. It is possible to re-use them in the dispersive heat-generating elements manufacturing. The process of using and extracting of return granules was tested five times in the production conditions.

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