Method of increasing the deterrent to proliferation of nuclear fuels

Patent · Tue Aug 17 00:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6982999

Rampolla, D S

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.

• Assignee: Department Of Energy
• Patent Number(s): US 4344912
• Application Number: TRN: 83-000034
• OSTI ID: 6982999
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 16 Jun 1980; Other Information: PAT-APPL-159891
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
NUCLEAR FUELS
PROLIFERATION
PROTACTINIUM 231
REPROCESSING
THORIUM CYCLE
MIXTURES
NON-PROLIFERATION POLICY
SPENT FUELS
THORIUM REACTORS
URANIUM 232
URANIUM 233
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FUEL CYCLE
FUELS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PROTACTINIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
URANIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
055001 - Nuclear Fuels- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability- Technical Aspects