BS EN ISO 12800:2019

What is ISO 12800- Specific surface area of uranium oxide powders about? 

ISO 12800 is an International Standard on nuclear fuel technology. 

ISO 12800 specifies guidelines on the determination of the specific surface area of as-fabricated uranium dioxide powder by volumetric or gravimetric determination of the amount of nitrogen adsorbed on the powder. It can be applied to other similar materials, e.g. U3O8, UO2-PuO2 powders, and other bodies with similar surface areas, e.g. powder granules or green pellets, provided that the conditions described are fulfilled. Modifications using other adsorbing gases are included. 

The method in ISO 12800 is relevant as long as the expected value is in the range between 1 m2/g and 10 m2/g. 

Who is ISO 12800 Specific surface area of uranium oxide powders for? 

ISO 12800 on nuclear fuel technology is relevant to: 

• Nuclear power stations 
• Atomic research organizations 
• Manufacturers of fissile material 
• Nuclear fuel technology 
• Nuclear industry 
• Regulatory authorities  

Why should you use ISO 12800- Specific surface area of uranium oxide powders? 

The specific surface area of powders is an essential property that provides indications of porosity.  

ISO 12800 walks you through the necessary conditions and assumptions and test procedure to measure the specific surface area of uranium oxide powders by the BET method. The BET method is based on the determination of the amount of gas necessary to cover the surface by a monomolecular layer.  

Test results in compliance with ISO 12800 impart a high degree of precision and accuracy in measurements, that is critical to the stability and consistency of the manufacturing processes during pellet production. As a result, you can avoid high sintered density that can prevent incidences of instability and cracking.