Recycling of fuel

The different properties of plutonium affect the safety characteristics of thermal and fast reactors in differing ways. There is a change in isotopic composition of plutonium as recycle proceeds. The chapter describes this and gives data on the build-up of the higher actinides, americium and curium. Attention is drawn to the problems of fabricating and handling plutonium-enriched fuel for use in thermal reactors. As an example, a plant for refabricating mixed uranium oxide-plutonium oxide LWR fuels is described. Mention is made of the problems associated with the transport of plutonium and the impact of the special requirements of plutonium handling on fuel costs. The main difference between plutonium-enriched thermal reactor fuel and plutonium fast reactor fuel is shown to lie in the concentration of plutonium in the fuel and in the complexity of the fuel assemblies