Method of increasing the deterrent to proliferation of nuclear fuels

Title: Method of increasing the deterrent to proliferation of nuclear fuels

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Abstract

A process of recycling protactinium-231 to enhance the utilization of radioactively hot uranium-232 in nuclear fuel for the purpose of making both fresh and spent fuel more resistant to proliferation. The uranium-232 may be obtained by the irradiation of protactinium-231 which is normally found in the spent fuel rods of a thorium base nuclear reactor. The production of protactinium-231 and uranium-232 would be made possible by the use of the thorium uranium-233 fuel cycle in power reactors.

Inventors:

Rampolla, Donald S. ^[1]

(Pittsburgh, PA)

Issue Date:: 1982-01-01

Research Org.:: Bettis Atomic Power Lab., West Mifflin, Pa. (USA)

OSTI Identifier:: 864308

Patent Number(s):: 4344912

Assignee:: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC) OSTI

DOE Contract Number:: EY-76-C-11-0014

Resource Type:: Patent

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: method; increasing; deterrent; proliferation; nuclear; fuels; process; recycling; protactinium-231; enhance; utilization; radioactively; hot; uranium-232; fuel; purpose; fresh; spent; resistant; obtained; irradiation; normally; found; rods; thorium; base; reactor; production; uranium-233; cycle; power; reactors; power reactors; power reactor; nuclear fuels; fuel rods; nuclear fuel; nuclear reactor; spent fuel; fuel rod; fuel cycle; uranium-233 fuel; base nuclear; /376/976/

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                    Rampolla, Donald S. Method of increasing the deterrent to proliferation of nuclear fuels.  United States: N. p., 1982. 
        Web.

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                    Rampolla, Donald S. Method of increasing the deterrent to proliferation of nuclear fuels.  United States.

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                    Rampolla, Donald S. Fri .  
        "Method of increasing the deterrent to proliferation of nuclear fuels".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/864308.

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@article{osti_864308,

  title        = {Method of increasing the deterrent to proliferation of nuclear fuels},

  author       = {Rampolla, Donald S.},

  abstractNote = {A process of recycling protactinium-231 to enhance the utilization of radioactively hot uranium-232 in nuclear fuel for the purpose of making both fresh and spent fuel more resistant to proliferation. The uranium-232 may be obtained by the irradiation of protactinium-231 which is normally found in the spent fuel rods of a thorium base nuclear reactor. The production of protactinium-231 and uranium-232 would be made possible by the use of the thorium uranium-233 fuel cycle in power reactors.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {1982},

  month        = {1}

}

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Method of increasing the deterrent to proliferation of nuclear fuels

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A process is claimed of recycling protactinium-231 to enhance the utilization of radioactively hot uranium-232 in nuclear fuel for the purpose of making both fresh and spent fuel more resistant to proliferation. The uranium-232 may be obtained by the irradiation of protactinium-231 which is normally found in the spent fuel rods of a thorium base nuclear reactor. The production of protactinium-231 and uranium-232 would be made possible by the use of the thorium uranium-233 fuel cycle in power reactors.
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