Inventors:
Edward J. Lahoda - Pittsburgh PA, US
Jeffrey A. Brown - Ellington CT, US
Satya R. Pati - Simsbury CT, US
Lars G. Hallstadius - Vasteras, SE
Robert P. Harris - Bloomfield CT, US
Bojan Petrovic - Monroeville PA, US
International Classification:
C01G 56/00, G21C 1/08, G21C 3/00, G21C 1/07, G21C 15/00, C01F 15/00, C01G 43/00
US Classification:
376171, 376419, 376381, 376370, 423254, 423252, 423251
Abstract:
The present invention provides a nuclear fuel comprising an actinide nitride such as U, U, U, U, U, Th, Pu, Pu, Pu, Pu, Pu, Np, Am, Am, Am, Am, Am, Am, Am, Cm, Cm, Cm, Cm, Cm, Cm, Cm, Cm, Cm, Cm, Cm, Bk, Bk, Bk, Bk, Bk, Bk, Cf, Cf, Cf, Cf, Cf, Cf, Cf, Cf, Es, Es, Es, Es, Es, Es, Es, Fm, Fm, Fm, Fm, Fm, Fm, Fm, Md, Md, Md, Md, Md, Md, No, No, No, No, No, No and No, and optionally fission products such as Tc, Tc and Tc, suitable for use in nuclear reactors, including those based substantially on thermal fission, such as light and heavy water reactors, gas-cooled nuclear reactors, liquid metal fast breeders or molten salt fast breeders. The fuel contains nitrogen which has been isotopically enriched to at least about 50% N, most preferably above 95%.