Casting of Zircaloy-Uranium Cores for HWCTR Driver Tubes

In the preparation of uranium fuel cores for a new set of driver tubes for HWCTR, the casting procedure required attention to the following: Zircaloy charged in discrete sections that permit drainage of melting metal; a heating schedule that minimizes contact of molten metal with the graphite crucible; and a mold design that effects directional solidification while minimizing the volume of scrap.