Plutonium burning in pressurized water reactors via nonfertile matrices

摘要: The plutonium that comes from dismantled warheads and is already stockpiled commercial fuel reprocessing has raised many proposals for its burning in a safe economical manner. utilization examined of current pressurized water reactors (PWRs) are partially fed with nonfertile oxide-type fuel, while the rest core still standard {sup 235}U-enriched fuel. unconventional consists PuO{sub 2} diluted an inert matrix, which should be highly radiation resistant, scarcely neutron absorbent, chemically stable allows final disposal discharged without any treatment. Commercial PWRs operating once-through cycle scheme can transmute 97 to 99% 239}Pu 71 84% total initially loaded reactor- weapons-grade plutonium, respectively. remnant proliferation-resistant condition. high initial reactivity plutonium-bearing rods causes rod power peak continuously decreasing generation these during irradiation. A less pronounced UO{sub at end life addressed. coefficients are, absolute terms, slightly lower than ones.