Pellet fabrication

The production of pellets from uranium dioxide (UO₂) happens via a long industrial chemical process. The UO₂ powder passes through a rotary press to form pellets which are sent to a high temperature sintering furnace, where they acquire stiffness.

This step is performed at INB’s Nuclear Fuel Factory in Resende/RJ.
The pellets are cylinder-shaped and approximately one centimeter in both length and diameter. Two of these pellets alone produce enough energy to power an average four-people household, for one month.