Protected Plutonium Production by Transmutation of Minor Actinides

“Protected Plutonium Production (P3)” has been proposed to enhance the proliferation resistance of plutonium by the transmutation of Minor Actinides (MAs). The enhancement of the production of 238Pu by doping the small amount of MAs such as 237Np or 241Am with large neutron capture cross-section into the uranium fuel in the thermal reactors is very effective to makes the process of the nuclear weapon manufacture and maintenance technologically difficult because of high decay heat and large number of spontaneous fission neutron. Super weapon grade plutonium could be produced in the blanket of a conventional FBR. However, by increasing the 238Pu ratio in the total plutonium by MAs doping into the fresh blanket fuel, the protected plutonium with high proliferation resistance can be bred in the FBR. The theoretical prediction of the P3 mechanism was demonstrated by the irradiation tests of Np in Experimental Fast Reactor Joyo (JAEA) and Np-U Samples in Advanced Thermal Reactor (INL). The experimental results agreed very well with theoretical predictions. A new evaluation function, “attractiveness”, defined as a ratio of potential of fission yield to the technological difficulties of nuclear explosive device, has been proposed to evaluate the proliferation resistance of Pu based on the nuclear material property for Plutonium Categorization. Instead of the geological disposal or just the burning of MAs by the fission reaction, they should be treated as valuable fertile materials to enhance the proliferation resistance of plutonium in the thermal and fast breeder reactors for peace and sustainable prosperity in future.