STABILIZED URANIUM OR URANIUM-PLUTONIUM NITRIDE FUEL

摘要

A nuclear fuel composition which exhibits minimal reaction with stainless steel cladding at reactor service conditions is provided comprising a metal-containing uranium or uranium-plutonium nitride composition which forms, under reactor service conditions, a UXN2 or (U, Pu)XN2 compound as a separate stable phase where X is a metal selected from the group consisting of vanadium, chromium and niobium. These compounds are formed by reaction of fuel with excess nitrogen as the nitrogen is produced from fuel burnup in the reactor. Thus, the nitrogen equilibrium pressure is stabilized to a value below that which will react with the stainless steel cladding.