Overview of the Plutonium-238 Supply Program’s CERMET Production Target

Abstract

The Plutonium-238 Supply Program is tasked with establishing a reliable domestic supply of 238Pu to fuel radioisotope thermal generators in its crucial role of supporting future space exploitation. To meet this need, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed a robust production target design that is used to irradiate neptunium–aluminum cermet pellets to transmute the feedstock into usable 238Pu. This paper describes the target design and the innovative design features employed to improve target fabrication and assembly.