Preparation of nuclear fuel composition and recycling

A method of recycling nuclear fuel particles, comprising:

• heating a mixture of magnesium nitrate hexahydrate and micron sized particles of a nuclear fuel material to a temperature suitable for the magnesium nitrate hexahydrate to decompose to form magnesium oxide, water, and nitrogen oxides, and
• cooling the resulting mixture, and thereafter
• recovering a product that is a composition of micron scale particles of a nuclear fuel material that are homogeneously dispersed in a matrix of magnesium oxide,
• using the composition in a nuclear reactor, and after a period of time,
• removing spent composition from the nuclear reactor, the spent composition comprising a matrix of magnesium oxide and spent nuclear fuel particles dispersed in the matrix, the spent nuclear fuel particles having undergone fission and produced nuclear energy and fission products, wherein at least some of the fission products are retained by the matrix, and thereafter
• dissolving the matrix of magnesium oxide, and thereafter
• separating the spent nuclear fuel particles from the dissolved matrix of magnesium oxide.

A method for preparing a composition of particles of a nuclear fuel material homogeneously dispersed in a metal oxide matrix, comprising:

• heating a mixture of particles of a nuclear fuel material and a metal salt that thermally decomposes at a temperature below 1000° C. to a temperature suitable for the metal salt to decompose and form metal oxide, water, and gaseous products;
• cooling the resulting mixture;
• and
• recovering a product that is a composition of particles of nuclear fuel material that are homogeneously dispersed in a matrix of metal oxide.

A method of recycling nuclear fuel particles, comprising:

• forming a composition by heating a mixture of particles of a nuclear fuel material and a metal salt that thermally decomposes at a temperature below 1000° C. to a temperature suitable for the metal salt to decompose and form metal oxide, water, and gaseous products, and thereafter cooling the resulting mixture, and thereafter recovering a product that is a composition of particles of a nuclear fuel material that are homogeneously dispersed in a matrix of metal oxide, and thereafter
• using the composition in a nuclear reactor whereby spent composition is produced,
• removing spent composition from the nuclear reactor, the spent composition comprising a matrix of magnesium oxide and spent nuclear fuel particles dispersed in the matrix, the spent nuclear fuel particles having undergone fission and produced nuclear energy and fission products, wherein at least some of the fission products are retained by the matrix, and thereafter
• dissolving the matrix of metal oxide, and thereafter
• separating the spent nuclear fuel particles from the dissolved matrix of metal oxide.