Fabrication process of uranium foil having fine grains solidified rapidly from melt using cooling roll, and the fabrication apparatus

Abstract

The present invention is concerned with the fabrication process of low or high enrichment uranium and uranium alloy foil, and the fabrication apparatus therefor. Uranium (U) and uranium alloy [U—(A)Q—(B)X—(C)Y (Q: Al, Fe, Ni, Si, Cr, Zr element, X: Al, Fe, Ni, Si, Cr, Zr element, Y: Al, Fe, Ni, Si, Cr, Zr element, Q≠X≠Y, (A)≦1 wt %, (B)≦1 wt %, (C)≦1 wt %)] foil are directly obtained from a melt, not through a vacuum induction melting & casting, ingot cutting, hot-rolling and heat-treatment process, but through melt spinning or a twin-roll casting process. Major advantages have been obtained as follows: 1) a simplified process without the hot-rolling process and heat-treatment process, 2) an improvement in productivity and process economics in foil fabrication, and 3) a high purity and a high quality of the foil.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for fabricating a uranium foil having fine randomly oriented grains by rapidly solidifying a melt of uranium or uranium alloy directly using a cooling roller, wherein the uranium alloy is U—(A)Q—(B) X—(C)Y, in which Q is selected from the group consisting of Al, Fe, Ni, Si, Cr, and Zr elements, X is selected from the group consisting of Al, Fe, Ni, Si, Cr, and Zr elements, and Y is selected from the group consisting of Al, Fe, Ni, Si, Cr, and Zr elements, and Q≠X≠Y, (A)≦1 wt %, (B)≦1wt %, (C)≦1 wt %.  
     
     
         2 . An apparatus for fabricating a uranium foil having fine randomly oriented grains by solidifying rapidly a melt of uranium or uranium alloy directly using a cooling roller, comprising 
 a heat-resistant crucible ( 2 ) equipped with a tundish having a slot ( 1 ),    an induction coil ( 3 ) connected to a high frequency generating apparatus (not shown) to heat the crucible ( 2 ),    a vacuum pump system ( 5 ) for obtaining an appropriate vacuum within the chamber ( 4 ),    a roller ( 6 ) and side dams (not shown) installed in the chamber ( 4 ),    a gas-feeding valve ( 7 ) for feeding gas into the chamber ( 4 ) and    a recovery container ( 8 ) for collecting the fabricated foil.