Low temperature route to uranium nitride

Patent · Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009

OSTI ID:968306

Burrell, Anthony K ^[1]; Sattelberger, Alfred P ^[2]; Yeamans, Charles ^[3]; Hartmann, Thomas ^[4]; Silva, G W. Chinthaka ^[5]; Cerefice, Gary ^[6]; Czerwinski, Kenneth R ^[6]

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1. Los Alamos, NM
2. Darien, IL
3. Berkeley, CA
4. Idaho Falls, ID
5. Las Vegas, NV
6. Henderson, NV

A method of preparing an actinide nitride fuel for nuclear reactors is provided. The method comprises the steps of a) providing at least one actinide oxide and optionally zirconium oxide; b) mixing the oxide with a source of hydrogen fluoride for a period of time and at a temperature sufficient to convert the oxide to a fluoride salt; c) heating the fluoride salt to remove water; d) heating the fluoride salt in a nitrogen atmosphere for a period of time and at a temperature sufficient to convert the fluorides to nitrides; and e) heating the nitrides under vacuum and/or inert atmosphere for a period of time sufficient to convert the nitrides to mononitrides.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36; AC52-06NA25396
• Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): 7,582,232
• Application Number: 11/739,147
• OSTI ID: 968306
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English