Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A nuclear fuel pellet, comprising a compressed homogeneous dispersion of powders comprising uranium dioxide (UO2) and a thermally conductive material selected from a metal or metal alloy, wherein:the UO2 is 90 to 99 vol % of the compressed homogeneous dispersion of powders;the thermally conductive material has a thermal conductivity that is greater than 10 W/mK at 100° C.; andthe compressed homogeneous dispersion of powders has a density in excess of 95% TD (theoretical density) of the UO2, an average grain size of at least 4 μm with little or no intergranular pores, and a thermal conductivity of at least 8 W/mK at 100° C. 2. The nuclear fuel pellet of claim 1, wherein said thermally conductive material is uniformly distributed with said UO2. 3. The nuclear fuel pellet of claim 1, wherein said thermally conductive material comprises 1 to 10 vol % of said compressed homogeneous dispersion of powders. 4. The nuclear fuel pellet of claim 1, wherein said compressed homogeneous dispersion of powders further comprises other oxidation states of uranium oxide, uranium nitride, thorium oxide, plutonium oxide, or any combination thereof. 5. The nuclear fuel pellet of claim 1, wherein said compressed homogeneous dispersion of powders comprises a mixture of the UO2 with other uranium oxides, the mixture having a stoichiometry of UO2+x where x is 0 to 0.25. 6. The nuclear fuel pellet of claim 1, wherein said compressed homogeneous dispersion of powders consists of UO2 and said thermally conductive material and said thermally conductive material is uranium or a uranium alloy. 7. The nuclear fuel pellet of claim 1, wherein the compressed homogeneous dispersion of powders is formed in a die assembly at a controlled pressure of 25 to 100 MPa and temperature of 850 to 1600° C. 8. The nuclear fuel pellet of claim 7, wherein the controlled pressure and temperature are maintained for a period of 0.5 to 20 minutes. 9. The nuclear fuel pellet of claim 7, wherein the controlled pressure and temperature are applied in a sintering chamber of a spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus.