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Full-Text Articles in Nuclear Engineering
Zirconia-Magnesia Inert Matrix Fuel And Waste Form: Synthesis, Characterization And Chemical Performance In An Advanced Fuel Cycle, Kiel Steven Holliday
Zirconia-Magnesia Inert Matrix Fuel And Waste Form: Synthesis, Characterization And Chemical Performance In An Advanced Fuel Cycle, Kiel Steven Holliday
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
There is a significant buildup in plutonium stockpiles throughout the world, because of spent nuclear fuel and the dismantling of weapons. The radiotoxicity of this material and proliferation risk has led to a desire for destroying excess plutonium. To do this effectively, it must be fissioned in a reactor as part of a uranium free fuel to eliminate the generation of more plutonium. This requires an inert matrix to volumetrically dilute the fissile plutonium. Zirconia-magnesia dual phase ceramic has been demonstrated to be a favorable material for this task. It is neutron transparent, zirconia is chemically robust, magnesia has good …