Nuclear fuel alloys or mixtures and method of making thereof

摘要

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.

主权项

1. A nuclear fission fuel mixture, comprising:
at least one naturally fissioning actinide; and a ternary metallic additive comprising:
a metal first component as a first percentage of the additive total weight;a metal second component as a second percentage of the additive total weight;a metal third component as a third percentage of the additive total weight, wherein the first percentage, second percentage, and third percentage sum to about one hundred percent;wherein the first percentage, second percentage, and third percentage are selected in a solid phase region of an isothermal ternary phase diagram of the ternary metallic additive taken at a temperature between about 450 Celsius degrees and about 700 Celsius degrees.