Uranium from the enrichment
plant is next converted into a solid, uranium dioxide (UO2)
powder and pressed into small pellets.
Hundreds of these pellets are stacked one on top of the other
in slender zirconium alloy or stainless steel tubes, which are
then mounted in clusters to form a fuel assembly, ready for loading
into a nuclear power plant. A large nuclear
power station will be loaded with several hundred fuel assemblies.
