Compositions – Radioactive compositions – Nuclear reactor fuel
Patent
1990-03-05
1992-05-12
Hunt, Brooks H.
Compositions
Radioactive compositions
Nuclear reactor fuel
420 2, 420 3, 376419, 376422, 376428, 376901, G21G 400
Patent
active
051125340
ABSTRACT:
To increase the operating temperature of a reactor, the melting point and mechanical properties of the fuel must be increased. For an actinide-rich fuel, yttrium, lanthanum and/or rare earth elements can be added, as stabilizers, to uranium and plutonium and/or a mixture of other actinides to raise the melting point of the fuel and improve its mechanical properties. Since only about 1% of the actinide fuel may be yttrium, lanthanum, or a rare earth element, the neutron penalty is low, the reactor core size can be reduced, the fuel can be burned efficiently, reprocessing requirements are reduced, and the nuclear waste disposal volumes reduced. A further advantage occurs when yttrium, lanthanum, and/or other rare earth elements are exposed to radiation in a reactor, they produce only short half life radioisotopes, which reduce nuclear waste disposal problems through much shorter assured-isolation requirements.
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patent: 4624828 (1986-11-01), Alexander
patent: 4789520 (1988-12-01), Morimoto et al.
J. P. Howe, Progess in Nuclear Energy, vol. V, McGraw-Hill, pp. 481-510, especially PS 490.
Grantham LeRoy F.
Guon Jerold
Specht Eugene R.
Carnahan L. E.
Constant Richard E.
Gaither Roger S.
Hunt Brooks H.
Mai Ngoclan T.
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