Utilization of weapons plutonium in LWR cores

In the next several years, a large quantity of weapon-grade plutonium may be removed from nuclear weapons in the United States. This material represents a significant energy resource that could be used to help supply domestic energy requirements. In particular, the plutonium metal can be transformed into an oxide form and blended with depleted uranium oxide. This mixed-oxide (MOX) can be fabricated into fuel for commercial light water reactors (LWRs). Scoping calculations have been performed at the Savannah River site (SRS). This paper reviews reactivity parameters for light water cores containing weapons-grade plutonium.