Optimal management of weapons plutonium through MOX recycling

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:182983

McMurphy, M A; Bastard, G le ^[1]

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1. COGEMA, Inc., Chatillon (France)

Beyond the satisfaction of witnessing the end of the nuclear arms race, the availability of large quantities of plutonium from the dismantlement of nuclear weapons in Russia and the US can be perceived as a challenge and an opportunity. A challenge because poor management of this material would maintain a problematic situation in terms of proliferation; an opportunity because such plutonium represents a high value energy source that the civilian industry is capable of using efficiently, actually turning it from swords to plowshares. The object of this paper is to describe the main characteristics of the use of weapons plutonium in the civilian cycle to produce electricity through the use of mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX), or moxification. A comparison with the main alternate solution--plutonium vitrification--is offered, in particular with regard to industrial availability, energy resource management, economy, environment and proliferation.

• OSTI ID: 182983
• Report Number(s): CONF-950917--; ISBN 0-7918-1219-7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
ECONOMICS
MIXED OXIDE FUELS
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
NUCLEAR WEAPONS DISMANTLEMENT
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM RECYCLE
POWER GENERATION
PRODUCTION
PROLIFERATION
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
USA
VITRIFICATION
WATER COOLED REACTORS