SHI Binbin, ZHAO Guoliang, DUAN Limei, HU Fengyun, WANG Zhiyi, BAI Bin
(Institute of Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621700, Sichuan, China)

Abstract: Since the Fukushima incident, accident tolerant fuel (ATF) has received widespread attention. Ceramic-based ATF, represented by UO₂, has become the mainstream of nuclear fuel, due to its advantages such as high melting point, excellent radiation resistance, and chemical stability. However, ceramic-based ATF still faces challenges such as complex preparation processes and high costs. Progress has been made in shortening sintering time and reducing sintering temperature by adopting new sintering techniques such as spark plasma sintering and flash sintering to prepare ceramic-based ATF. This article is aimed to analyze and summarize the progress of sintering technology for ATFs based on UO₂, UN, U₃Si₂ and UC. In addition, the characteristics and development prospects of different sintering techniques will be discussed and the future development of ATF will be looked forward.
Key words: accident tolerant fuel; new sintering technology; traditional vacuum sintering; spark plasma sintering; flash sintering