Nuclear fuel alloys or mixtures and method of making thereof
Nuclear fuel alloys or mixtures and methods of making nuclear fuel mixtures are provided. Pseudo-binary actinide-M fuel mixtures form alloys and exhibit: body-centered cubic solid phases at low temperatures; high solidus temperatures; and/or minimal or no reaction or inter-diffusion with steel and other cladding materials. Methods described herein through metallurgical and thermodynamics advancements guide the selection of amounts of fuel mixture components by use of phase diagrams. Weight percentages for components of a metallic additive to an actinide fuel are selected in a solid phase region of an isothermal phase diagram taken at a temperature below an upper temperature limit for the resulting fuel mixture in reactor use. Fuel mixtures include uranium-molybdenum-tungsten, uranium-molybdenum-tantalum, molybdenum-titanium-zirconium, and uranium-molybdenum-titanium systems.
- Issue Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1245419
- Assignee:
- U.S. Department of Energy (Washington, DC) INL
- Patent Number(s):
- 9,305,667
- Application Number:
- 13/832,261
- Contract Number:
- AC07-05ID14517
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 2013 Mar 15
- Research Org:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Org:
- USDOE
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
- Full Text
- View Full Text
