Actinide-Bearing Fuels and Transmutation Targets

Transmutation of long-lived and highly radioactive minor actinides (Am, Np, and Cm) is aimed at transforming them into short-lived elements while recycling their energy content to reduce radiotoxicity of the final nuclear waste. A fast neutron spectrum is preferable. Transmutation is therefore studied in fourth-generation systems such as the sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) or in dedicated systems such as the accelerator-driven system. For each of these systems, this chapter presents the different transmutation fuel concepts employed and describes their behavior under irradiation, as well as their manufacturing method. Great attention is paid to highlighting the specific features of these new types of fuel and targets with respect to standard SFR fuel.