The purpose of this work was (1) to investigate the possibility of producing zirconium-clad zirconium-uranium alloy objects by casting the core alloy directly into zirconium and zirconium-3 w/o tin jackets, producing a diffusion bond at the jacket-core interfaces, and (2) to produce small scale heat thru-put test specimens by this method.

This report describes the manufacture of 25 Aluminum clad, 10 w/o plutonium-aluminum alloy and 5 w/o plutonium-aluminum alloy cored specimens for Argonne National Laboratory-University of California irradiation tests in the Materials Testing Reactor. The manufacturing method: preparation of cores and cladding material, assembly and welding of compacts, outgassing, roll bonding, shearing, identification marking and final fabrication into napkin "rings" is described in detail. Of ninety-six specimens fabricated, ninety-one were completed as finished specimens. Forty-four of these contained 5 w/o plutonium alloy cores and forty-seven contained 10 w/o plutonium alloy cores. Five specimens ere rejected for bond blistering.