The Fermi level in uranium dioxide with band gap εg = 2.1 eV is a logarithmic identifier of the oxidation state of the dioxide and serves as a measure of the electron occupation of the local energy levels in the band gap. An impurity additive in the form of a trivalent metal is required in order to transfer the dioxide into a stable hypostoichiometric state with a high density of oxygen vacancies. This can be accomplished in mixed uranium-plutonium fuel, which is then easily compacted with dispersed particles of uranium carbide.
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Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 133, No. 4, pp. 193–196, October, 2022.
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Shimkevich, A.L. Concept of Carbide Compaction of Mixed Uranium-Plutonium Fuel. At Energy 133, 196–199 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-023-00995-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-023-00995-4