Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of fabricating metallic fuel from surplus plutonium, the method comprising:combining plutonium oxide powder consisting essentially of PuO2 with uranium oxide powder to obtain a mixed powder, the plutonium oxide powder being present at a quantity of about 20% to 50% by weight relative to a total weight of the mixed powder, the uranium oxide powder having a 235U enrichment of less than 5.0 wt %;electroreducing the mixed powder in a porous basket immersed in a bath of molten salt so as to convert the mixed powder to a first alloy of plutonium and uranium, the first alloy being in a form of a porous metal sponge;pressing the first alloy to remove a majority of the molten salt adhered to the first alloy to form a pressed alloy-salt mixture; andisolating the first alloy from a remainder of the molten salt by melting the pressed alloy-salt mixture via electromagnetic induction in a furnace and discharging the first alloy from a bottom of the furnace. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressing includes removing at least 80% of the molten salt adhered to the first alloy. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressing includes a simultaneous application of heat to facilitate removal of the molten salt adhered to the first alloy. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:reintroducing the molten salt back into the bath of molten salt after the pressing and isolating the first alloy. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plutonium oxide powder is from a can of a recovered product of reprocessed nuclear fuel or nuclear weapons. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:sampling the mixed powder to verify a quantity of the plutonium oxide powder therein prior to the electroreducing. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plutonium oxide powder and the uranium oxide powder are not commingled until the combining to obtain the mixed powder. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:adding a Group 4 metal and uranium metal to the first alloy after the isolating so as to form a second alloy. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the adding a Group 4 metal and uranium metal is performed such that the second alloy has about 20% to 50% plutonium by weight. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the adding a Group 4 metal includes introducing zirconium to the first alloy. 11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:forming a fuel rod from the second alloy.