Characterization of minor actinide mixed oxide fuel

The global nuclear energy partnership (GNEP) was created in order for ‘fuel-cycle supplier’ nations to provide assured supplies of nuclear fuel to ‘fuel-cycle customer’ nations. The customer nations would utilize the fuel for electricity generation and subsequently return it to the supplier nation after it is spent. This spent fuel would then be reprocessed by the supplier nation in order to recycle the actinide constituents, mainly uranium and plutonium, in advanced nuclear power reactors, and thus reduce waste volumes [1,2]. The International Atomic Energy Agency would control the nuclear materials. One of the thrust areas for the GNEP program is the development of these actinide bearing fuels for transmutation in a fast reactor.