英国原子能管理局哈威尔研究所,最近研究出一种能把多种多样的材料制成完美的小球的新技术。小球直径在千分之一毫米至两毫米之间。这项新技术是为了加工用于快堆的钚-铀混合燃料而研究出来的。目前,快堆所用的燃料棒是一种装有圆片状的核物质的细小金属棒,这种燃料棒在反应堆内约占80%的 The Harwell Institute of the British Atomic Energy Authority has recently developed a new technology that can make a variety of materials into perfect balls. The ball diameter is between one and one-thousandth of millimeters to two millimeters. This new technology was developed for the processing of helium-uranium mixed fuels for fast reactors. At present, the fuel rods used in fast reactors are tiny metal rods filled with nuclear material in the form of disks, which account for about 80% of the reactors.