Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Method of manufacturing a nuclear fuel pellet by recycling an irradiated oxide fuel pellet
 A method of manufacturing new UO.sub.2 -based fuel pellets by recycling irradiated UO.sub.2 -based fuel pellets. Irradiated UO.sub.2 -based fuel pellets are oxidized so as to make U.sub.3 O.sub.8 -based powder, and then the U.sub.3 O.sub.8 -based powder is mixed with an additive which contains at least one oxide of an element selected from the group consisting of niobium, titanium, vanadium, aluminum, magnesium, chromium, silicon and lithium. Green pellets are formed from the mixed powder, and then sintered, preferably at 1500.degree. C. or higher, in a reducing gas atmosphere to produce UO.sub.2 -based fuel pellets with high densities. 
Korea Electric Power Corporation Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute
Y G
Y02E G21C
additional inventional
Myung-Seung Youn-Ho Kun-Woo Keon-Sik
Yang Jung Song Kim