A small lead-cooled reactor with improved Am-burning and non-proliferation characteristics

In this paper, a novel approach for transmutation of americium in fast reactors is presented. Using enriched uranium as fissile support, rather than plutonium, it is shown that a minor actinide burning rate of 25 kg/TWhth is possible to achieve in a passively safe, critical lead-cooled reactor. Moreover, the plutonium produced by transmutation of 241Am features up to 38% 238Pu, making it difficult to use for weapons production.