1.1 This specification is for finished sintered UO2 pellets. It applies to UO2 pellets containing uranium (U) of any 235 U concentration for use in nuclear reactors.
1.2 This specification recognizes the presence of reprocessed U in the fuel cycle and consequently defines isotopic limits for UO2 pellets made from commercial grade UO2. Such commercial grade UO2 is defined so that, regarding fuel design and manufacture, the product is essentially equivalent to that made from unirradiated U. UO2 falling outside these limits cannot necessarily be regarded as equivalent and may thus need special provisions at the fuel fabrication plant or in the fuel design.
1.3 This specification does not include (a) provisions for preventing criticality accidents, (b) requirements for health and safety, (c) avoidance of hazards, or (d) shipping precautions and controls. Observance of this specification does not relieve the user of the obligation to be aware of and conform to all federal, state, and local regulations pertaining to possessing, shipping, processing, or using source or special nuclear material. Examples of U.S. Government documents are Code of Federal Regulations (Latest Edition), Title 10, Part 50, Title 10, Part 70, Title 10, Part 71, and Title 49, Part 173.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.5 The following precautionary caveat pertains only to the technical requirements portion, Section 4, of this specification: This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability or regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
ASTM C776-17(2022) Referenced Document
ASME NQA-1 Quality Assurance Requirements for Nuclear Facility Applications
ASTM C1233 Standard Practice for Determining Equivalent Boron Contents of Nuclear Materials
ASTM C696 Standard Test Methods for Chemical, Mass Spectrometric, and Spectrochemical Analysis of Nuclear-Grade Uranium Dioxide Powders and Pellets
ASTM C753 Standard Specification for Nuclear-Grade, Sinterable Uranium Dioxide Powder
ASTM C859 Standard Terminology Relating to Nuclear Materials
ASTM C996 Standard Specification for Uranium Hexafluoride Enriched to Less Than 5% 235U1
ASTM E105 Standard Practice for Probability Sampling Of Materials*, 2024-04-21 Update
ASTM E112 Standard Test Methods for Determining Average Grain Size
ASTM C776-17(2022) history
2022ASTM C776-17(2022) Standard Specification for Sintered Uranium Dioxide Pellets for Light Water Reactors
2017ASTM C776-17 Standard Specification for Sintered Uranium Dioxide Pellets for Light Water Reactors
2006ASTM C776-06(2011) Standard Specification for Sintered Uranium Dioxide Pellets
2006ASTM C776-06 Standard Specification for Sintered Uranium Dioxide Pellets
2000ASTM C776-00 Standard Specification for Sintered Uranium Dioxide Pellets