MIXED-OXIDE FUEL - A VALUABLE ENERGY-SOURCE

One of the fundamental aspects of all nuclear power systems developed so far has been that they all produce plutonium. The use of this eleme nt as an energy source in its own right has been developed since it wa s first separated in significant quantities from spent fuel in the ear ly 1960s, by its incorporation into uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX) fuel s for subsequent irradiation in both fast and thermal reactor systems. This paper discusses the fabrication of MOX and its utilization in th e past, present and future. The paper also addresses some of the techn ical issues associated with its use and the potential for developing a dvanced MOX fuels to enhance the economic benefits of their use by uti lities around the world.