Advanced fuel material samples ready for irradiation testing

The material samples, which were manufactured at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), are now ready to be inserted into the lab's Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) for irradiation testing, which is expected to begin later this year.

The enriched uranium-zirconium alloy coupon samples match the composition intended for Lightbridge's future commercial Lightbridge Fuel product, and were manufactured and loaded into capsules under stringent quality control and process validation protocols, the company said. The experiment assembly will be placed in the reactor core for irradiation testing.

_{Fuel is loaded into rodlet holders (Image: Lightbridge)}

The irradiation testing programme and post-irradiation examination activities aim to generate critical irradiation performance data which will support the company's regulatory licensing and commercialisation efforts for deployment of Lightbridge Fuel.

"We are proud to collaborate with Lightbridge on the assembly of this irradiation experiment," said Jess Gehin, Associate Laboratory Director for Nuclear Science & Technology at Idaho National Laboratory. "This is an important step in testing and validating the performance of Lightbridge's advanced fuel in a test reactor environment."

"We are pleased to complete this final step in preparation of the experiment assembly for irradiation testing," Lightbridge Vice President of Engineering Scott Holcombe said, describing it as a pivotal milestone for Lightbridge Fuel development. "This achievement brings us closer to obtaining the rigorous irradiation testing data required for regulatory approval and eventual commercialisation of Lightbridge Fuel."

_{Capsules containing Lightbridge Fuel material samples ready before loading into the assembly (Image: Lightbridge)}

Lightbridge Fuel is described by the company as a proprietary next-generation nuclear fuel technology for existing light water reactors and pressurised heavy water reactors which it says significantly enhances reactor safety, economics, and proliferation resistance. It is also developing Lightbridge Fuel for new small modular reactors.

ATR is a pressurised water reactor which produces neutrons, rather than heat, and is used to perform irradiation testing of many nuclear materials and fuels. The irradition testing is being carried out under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between Lightbridge and INL.

INL has shared further images of the process to load the capsules into the experimental assembly.