Coated fuel pellets, methods of making and using same
AssigneeUchicago Argonne, LLC
InventorsAbdellatif M. Yacout, Sumit Bhattacharya
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Abstract
Fuel pellets can include a fission material powder, a protective layer coated on the fission material powder, and an oxidation diffusion barrier coated on the protective layer, with the protective layer and oxidation diffusion barrier being formed through ALD to achieve infiltration of the coatings within the fuel pellets.
Claims35
A method of preparing a coated fuel pellet via atomic layer deposition (ALD), the method comprising:
- providing a green compact formed from a fission material powder in an atomic layer deposition chamber and pulling a vacuum within the chamber at a rate of about 1 Torr/min to about 10 Torr/min;
- depositing a protective coating on the green compact using atomic layer deposition such that the protective coating infiltrates into the green compact, to provide a protective-coated green compact, wherein the protective coating comprises a metal nitride, molybdenum, or a combination thereof;
- depositing an oxide-based coating on the protective-coated green compact using atomic layer deposition such that the oxide-based coating infiltrates into the protective-coated green compact, thereby providing an oxidation diffusion barrier;
- and,
- sintering the protective-coated green compact with the oxygen diffusion barrier, thereby providing the coated fuel pellet.
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A fuel pellet, comprising:
- a fission material powder;
- a protective layer coated on the fission material powder;
- and,
- an oxidation diffusion barrier coated on the protective layer.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.