Read full paper at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=52978#.VK8wFMnQrzE Author(s) Balakrishna Palanki Affiliation(s) (Retired) Nuclear Fuel Complex, Hyderabad, India . ABSTRACT Thorium based nuclear fuel is of immense interest to India by virtue of the abundance of Thorium and relative shortage of Uranium. Thorium metal tubes were being cold drawn using copper as cladding to prevent die seizure. After cold drawing, the copper was removed by dissolution in nitric acid. Thorium does not dissolve being passivated by nitric acid. Initially the copper cladding was carried out by inserting copper tubes inside and outside the thorium metal tube. In an innovative development, the mechanical cladding with copper was replaced by electroplated copper with a remarkable improvement in thorium tube acceptance rates. Oxalate derived thoria powder was found to require lower compaction pressures compared to am...
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