Lightbridge fabricates enriched uranium advanced fuel sample
Lightbridge Corporation has fabricated coupon samples using enriched uranium-zirconium alloy representative of the fuel material alloy composition it plans to use in its commercial next-generation fuel.
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The company says this is a critical step in the development of Lightbridge Fuel, a proprietary next-generation nuclear fuel technology for existing light water reactors and pressurised heavy water reactors which the company says can significantly enhance reactor safety, economics, as well as proliferation resistance.
The enriched uranium-zirconium alloy coupon samples were fabricated using the company's proprietary method, which has previously been demonstrated at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) using depleted uranium samples with zirconium-alloy cladding.
The enriched uranium-zirconium rod post-extrusion (Image: Lightbridge)
The enriched coupon samples are to undergo irradiation testing at INL's Advanced Test Reactor, under an existing Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between Lightbridge and the lab. 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.
Lightbridge Fuel is also being developed for small modular reactors.
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