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U.S.-German Cooperation in the Elimination of Excess Weapons Plutonium (1995) / Chapter Skim
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B. WPu Disposition Using MOX
Pages 64-69

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From page 64...
... Since plutonium has a higher absorption cross section for thermal neutrons comparer! to U235, the average energy of the neutron spectrum in reactors using plutonium fuels is higher.
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From page 65...
... , that is, its isotopic composition will be changed, and the spent fuel will meet the "spent fuel stanciard" in that the RPu is no more accessible to potential diversion than the plutonium from thermal reactors burning LEU or natural uranium. It may appear that the potentially larger plutonium content of spent fuel is a negative factor arguing against the use of MOX for disposing of WPu.
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From page 66...
... ) according to the amount of self generated plutonium.
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From page 67...
... If it were decicled to use MOX in American or Canadian reactors, the licensing process could be relatively expeditious. While actual operating experience with MOX had been restricted to partial MOX loads and while most existing LWRs were originally perceived to permit only partial loadings, recent analyses by the major U.S.
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From page 68...
... Russia has two partially completed MOX fabrication facilities, but these are suitable only for fabricating MOX for fast reactors and do not meet internationally accepted safety criteria. Accordingly, it is doubtful that they will be completed.
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From page 69...
... Moreover, unless the commercial spent fuel were not reprocessed, it would simply substitute WPu for the accumulating inventories of reprocessed RPu from commercial spent fuel; since the latter also constitutes a proliferation risk, such a substitution floes not seem to be to offer any nonproliferation advantage. It should be noted that the controversial issue concerning reprocessing of commercial spent fuel is not involved in the question of whether, where, and how WPu from excess nuclear weapons shouIc!
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Key Terms

  • spent fuel
  • mox fabrication
  • water reactors
  • commercial spent
  • excess weapons

  • fabrication facilities
  • fuel elements
  • weapons plutonium
  • natural uranium
  • fabricating mox

  • plutonium content
  • fabrication facility
  • using mox
  • existing lwrs
  • substantial mox

  • assuming various
  • excess nuclear
  • fabrication plant
  • fuel fabrication
  • boiling water

  • geological repository
  • mox loads
  • commercial reactors
  • nas panel
  • control rods

  • fuel cycle
  • neutron spectrum
  • currently operating
  • operating mox
  • existing reactors


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