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volume fractions in a wide range conserving the fuel pin external diameter. This type SA design was<br />

used in further studies.<br />

One of the tasks of optimisation studies was a search for moderator material allowing a more<br />

efficient actinides transmutation, which all other things being the same. Figure 1 presents the<br />

dependency of the capture and fission cross-sections of some actinides on material type and Figure 2 –<br />

the dependency of the same cross-sections on moderator volume fraction in the fuel pin for zirconium<br />

hydride as the most efficient moderator.<br />

Figure 1. Dependency of actinide cross-sections on a moderator type<br />

80<br />

70<br />

60<br />

50<br />

40<br />

30<br />

20<br />

10<br />

0<br />

barn<br />

ZrH 2 MgH 2<br />

CeH 3<br />

σ cPu 240 σ fPu 241 σ cAm 241 σ fAm 242m σ cAm 243 σ fCm 243<br />

Figure 2. Dependency of actinide cross-sections on a moderator volume fraction<br />

120<br />

barn<br />

100<br />

0 25 50 75 95<br />

80<br />

60<br />

40<br />

20<br />

0<br />

σ Pu 240 σ Pu 241 σ Am 241 σ Am 242m σ Am 243 σ Cm 243<br />

We noted that the transmutation of americium in such ID would be worthwhile only if the<br />

radiotoxicity of wastes remaining after irradiation is much less than the radiotoxicity of non-irradiated<br />

americium. Figure 3 presents the change in waste radiotixicity for different ID burn-ups in reference to<br />

storage of non-irradiated americium<br />

221

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