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Metal fuels also melt at considerably lower temperature than oxide fuels. Uranium oxide melts at 2865 C; uranium metal at 1132 C, plutonium metal at just 639 C
by pfdietz 2y ago
Metal fuels also melt at considerably lower temperature than oxide fuels.
Uranium oxide melts at 2865 C; uranium metal at 1132 C, plutonium metal at just 639 C. In contact with iron, plutonium forms a eutectic with a melting point of just 410 C, below the melting point of zinc. There was a crazy reactor at Los Alamos, LAMPRE, that used molten eutectic Pu-Fe in tantalum tubes as the fuel.
- AnthonyMouse 2y ago1132 C shouldn't be an infeasibly low temperature when the reactor is only expected to heat the coolant to 300-350 C. Meanwhile thorium metal is 1750 C. Or use uranium carbide. High melting point with still decent thermal conductivity.