Claims
- 1. An improved metal alloy reactor fuel consisting essentially of uranium, plutonium, and at least one element from the group consisting of yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium.
- 2. The improved metal alloy reactor fuel, as in claim 1, wherein the fuel consisting essentially of 79% uranium, 20% plutonium, and 1% of at least one element from the group consisting of yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium, by weight.
- 3. The improved metal alloy reactor fuel, as in claim 1, wherein the fuel consisting essentially of between 60% and 95% uranium, between 5% and 35% plutonium, and between 0.1% and 10% of at least one element from the group consisting of yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium, by weight.
- 4. An improved metal alloy reactor fuel consisting essentially of uranium, plutonium and at least one element selected from the group consisting of yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium, where at lease one minor actinide from the group consisting of neptunium, americium and curium is substituted for from 0% to 100% of the actinides uranium and plutonium, by weight.
- 5. The improved metal alloy reactor fuel as in claim 4 wherein the fuel consisting essentially of 79% uranium, 20% plutonium, and 1% of at least one element from the group consisting of yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, and lutetium, by weight.
- 6. The improved metal alloy reactor fuel, as in claim 4, wherein the fuel consisting essentially of between 60% and 95% uranium, between 5% and 35% plutonium, and between 0.1% and 10% of at least one element from the group consisting of yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium, by weight.
- 7. The improved metal alloy reactor fuel, as in claim 1, wherein the fuel consisting essentially of from 60% to 90% uranium, 0% to 25% of at least one element from the group consisting of neptunium, plutonium, americium, curium, berkelium, californium, einsteinium, fermium, mendelvium, nobelium, lawrencium, unnilquadium, unnilpentium, unnilhexium, and unnilseptium, and between 1% and 15% of at least one element from the group consisting of zirconium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium, by weight.
- 8. An improved metal alloy reactor fuel where the fuel consisting essentially of from 1% to 75% of at least one element from the group, consisting of neptunium, plutonium, americium, curium, berkelium, and californium, and from 25% to 99% of at least one element from the group consisting of zirconium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium, by weight.
- 9. An improved metal alloy reactor fuel where the fuel consisting essentially of from 1% to 90% of at least one element from the group consisting of neptunium, plutonium, americium, curium, berkelium, and californium, and from 10% to 99% of at least one element from the group consisting of zirconium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium, by weight.
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST
The Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract (or Grant) No. DE-AC03-885F17468 awarded by The Department of Energy.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
J. P. Howe, Progess in Nuclear Energy, vol. V, McGraw-Hill, pp. 481-510, especially PS 490. |