Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-gtxcr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T22:44:29.369Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Recoil Based Fuel Breeding Fuel Structure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Liviu Popa-Simil*
Affiliation:
lpopas@ieee.org, LAVM LLC., R&D, 3213-C Walnut St., Los Alamos, NM, 87544-2092, United States
Get access

Abstract

Nuclear transmutation reactions are based on the absorption of a smaller particle as neutron, proton, deuteron, alpha, etc. The resulting compound nucleus gets out of its initial lattice mainly by taking the recoil, also with help from its sudden change in chemical properties. The recoil implantation is used in correlation with thin and ultra thin materials mainly for producing radiopharmaceuticals and ultra-thin layer radioactive tracers. In nuclear reactors, the use of nano-particulate pellets could facilitate the recoil implantation for breeding, transmutation and partitioning purposes. Using enriched 238U or 232Th leads to 239Pu and 233U production while using other actinides as 240Pu, 241Am etc. leads to actinide burning. When such a lattice is immersed into a radiation resistant fluid (water, methanol, etc.), the recoiled product is transferred into the flowing fluid and removed from the hot area using a concentrator/purifier, preventing the occurrence of secondary transmutation reactions. The simulation of nuclear collision and energy transfer shows that the impacted nucleus recoils in the interstitial space creating a defect or lives small lattices. The defect diffuses, and if no recombination occurs it stops at the lattices boundaries. The nano-grains are coated in thin layer to get a hydrophilic shell to be washed by the collection liquid the particle is immersed in. The efficiency of collection depends on particle magnitude and nuclear reaction channel parameters. For 239Pu the direct recoil extraction rate is about 70% for 238UO2 grains of 5 nm diameters and is brought up to 95% by diffusion due to 239Neptunium incompatibility with Uranium dioxide lattice. Particles of 5 nm are hard to produce so a structure using particles of 100 nm have been tested. The particles were obtained by plasma sputtering in oxygen atmosphere. A novel effect as nanocluster radiation damage robustness and cluster amplified defects rejection will be discussed. The advantage of the method and device is its ability of producing small amount of isotopic materials easy to separate, using the nuclear reactors, with higher yield than the accelerator based methods and requiring less chemistry. It also represents a reliable candidate for nuclear fuel breeding reducing the cost of super-grade Plutonium and Thorium toward the price of urania and thoria.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Nuclear Energy Institute, Uranium Fuel Supply Adequate to Meet Present and Future Nuclear Energy Demand. Policy Brief, 2007.Google Scholar
2 Hedrick, J. B., Thorium. US Geological Survey, 2005. Mineral Commodity Summaries.Google Scholar
3 Jayaram, K.M.V., An Overview Of World Thorium Resources, Incentives For Further Exploration And Forecast For Thorium Requirements In The Near Future. Atomic Minerals Division,, 2004. Department of Atomic Energy,Hyderabad, India: p. 14.Google Scholar
4 US Arms Control Agency, Weapon-grade plutonium and highly enriched uranium production, in PLUTONIUM AND HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM. 1996.Google Scholar
5 US Arms Control Agency, Civil Highly Enriched Uranium Inventories. 1996.Google Scholar
6 Ragheb, M., Isotopic Separation and Enrichment, in Nuclear reactors. 2007.Google Scholar
7 Smith, K., Nuclear Fuel Prices Up 300%. Are you hedged? Evolution Markets Executive Briefs, 2006. 28.Google Scholar
8 Taube, Plutonium - a general survey. NEA, 1974. wed-database.Google Scholar
9 McKinney, G., MCNPx 2.6. User Manual, 2004. 1(1): p. 1457.Google Scholar
10 ZIGLER, J.F., Stopping of energetic light ions in Elemental Matter. Journal of Applied Physics, 1999. 85: p. 12491272.Google Scholar
11 Estrin, Y., K.H.S., Nabarro, F.R.N.,, A comment on the role of Frank.Read sources in plasticity of nanomaterials. Acta Materiala, 2007. 55: p. 64016407.Google Scholar
12 Bulatov, V.L., G.R.W., Harker, A.H.,, The Mobility of Ions in Lanthanum Fluoride Nanoclusters. JOM, 1997. 49(4): p. 14.Google Scholar
13 Shen, T. D., F.S., Tang, M., Valdez, J.A., Wang, Y., Sickafus, K.E.,, Enhanced radiation tolerance in nanocrystalline MgGa2O4. APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, 2007. 90: p. 263115.Google Scholar
14 Samaras, M., D.P.M., Van Swygenhoven, H., Victoria, M.,, SIA activity during irradiation of nanocrystalline Ni. Journal of Nuclear Materials, 2003. 323: p. 213219.Google Scholar
15 Nabarro, F.R.N. , Stress-Driven Grain Growth. Scripta Materialia, 1998. 39(12,): p. 16811683.Google Scholar