Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of providing a nuclear fuel, comprising:processing molybdenum to deplete the isotope 95-Mo; andforming an alloy of metallic uranium and the processed molybdenum, wherein the uranium is enriched in the isotope 235-U. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the fuel contains more than 3 grams/cm3 of uranium. 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the fuel contains more than 4 grams/cm3 of uranium. 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the fuel contains more than 5 grams/cm3 of uranium. 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the fuel contains more than 7.5 grams/cm3 of uranium. 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the depleted molybdenum contains less than 15% by weight of the molybdenum isotope 95-Mo. 7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the depleted molybdenum contains less than approximately 5% by weight of the molybdenum isotope 95-Mo. 8. A method according to claim 1, wherein processing molybdenum comprises enriching molybdenum in the isotope 92-Mo, 94-Mo, 96-Mo, 97-Mo, 98-Mo, 100-Mo, or any combination thereof. 9. A method of providing a nuclear fuel, comprising: forming an alloy of metallic uranium and molybdenum having uranium enriched in the isotope 235-U and molybdenum depleted in the isotope 95-Mo, and the content of molybdenum in the uranium-molybdenum alloy is in the range of 2–20% by weight. 10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the content of molybdenum in the uranium-molybdenum alloy is in the range of 5–10% by weight. 11. A method according to claim 1, wherein processing molybdenum comprises using ultracentrifuges. 12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the uranium-molybdenum alloy is dispersed in aluminum. 13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the enriched uranium is obtained by mixing highly enriched uranium with lowly enriched or natural uranium. 14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the enriched uranium contains 2–40% by weight of the isotope 235-U. 15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the enriched uranium contains 10–20% by weight of the isotope 235-U. 16. A fuel element including a nuclear fuel made by the method according to claim 1. 17. A method according to claim 1, wherein processing molybdenum to deplete the isotope 95-Mo comprises processing natural molybdenum. 18. A method according to claim 1, wherein processing molybdenum to deplete the isotope 95-Mo comprises processing molybdenum in a non-fission reaction. 19. A method according to claim 9, further comprising processing molybdenum to deplete the isotope 95-Mo. 20. A method according to claim 19, wherein processing molybdenum comprises processing natural molybdenum using ultracentrifuges. 21. A method according to claim 19, wherein processing molybdenum comprises enriching natural molybdenum in the isotope 92-Mo, 94-Mo, 96-Mo, 97-Mo, 98- Mo, 100-Mo, or any combination thereof.