Fabrication and electrochemical behavior of nitride fuel for future applications

Mononitride is the first candidate of fuel material in the accelerator driven system (ADS) for minor actinide (MA) transmutation designed by JAERI, being coupled with pyrochemical process for treatment of spent fuel. This paper summarizes recent R&D on the fabrication and electrochemical behavior of nitride fuel carried out in JAERI. Mononitride of U, Np, Pu, Am, Cm and their solid solutions have been prepared by carbothermic reduction from their dioxides. Mononitride containing diluent material such as ZrN also has been prepared and characterized. Electrode behavior of nitride fuel in the LiCl–KCl eutectic melt has been investigated by electrochemical measurements in order to apply pyrochemical process to nitride fuel cycle for MA transmutation.