Isotopically modified molybdenum for safe nuclear power

Abstract

The possibility of applying isotopically modified molybdenum like the structural material of fuel elements for light-water and fast reactors with dispersed fuel containing granules of the metal U–Mo-alloy in Mo matrix, has been discussed. It has been shown that with isotope-modified molybdenum with the neutron capture cross-section close to natural zirconium, the improved safety of nuclear reactors, i.e., both thermal and fast-neutron reactors, due to the improvement of heat-transfer emission in fuel elements has been achieved. Assessments demonstrated that molybdenum with economic practical cost may be obtained on the existing cascades of gas centrifuges developed for the separation of nonuranium isotopes.