A nuclear fuel assembly comprising: a parallel array of elongated nuclear fuel rods supported in a spaced relationship with each other, between a lower nozzle and an upper nozzle and having an axial length along the elongated dimension of the nuclear fuel rods; at least some of the nuclear fuel rods comprise: a tubular cladding extending over the axial length and closed at a lower end by a bottom end plug and closed at an upper end by a top end plug; a stack of a plurality of fuel pellets occupying a lower portion of an interior of the cladding with at least some of the fuel pellets in the stack of fuel pellets having an annular shape with a central opening; and a discrete neutron absorber substantially occupying the central opening of at least some of the annular fuel pellets, and the discrete neutron absorber is free of fissile material and primarily comprised of boron or boron carbide, wherein the discrete neutron absorber is structured as a rod; characterized by a coating applied to at least one of an inside surface of the central opening of the annular fuel pellets and an outside surface of the discrete neutron absorber, opposite the inside surface, wherein the coating is of molybdenum or tungsten, and the coating has a thickness of 0.5 to 100 μm. a parallel array of elongated nuclear fuel rods supported in a spaced relationship with each other, between a lower nozzle and an upper nozzle and having an axial length along the elongated dimension of the nuclear fuel rods; at least some of the nuclear fuel rods comprise: a tubular cladding extending over the axial length and closed at a lower end by a bottom end plug and closed at an upper end by a top end plug; a stack of a plurality of fuel pellets occupying a lower portion of an interior of the cladding with at least some of the fuel pellets in the stack of fuel pellets having an annular shape with a central opening; and a discrete neutron absorber substantially occupying the central opening of at least some of the annular fuel pellets, and the discrete neutron absorber is free of fissile material and primarily comprised of boron or boron carbide, wherein the discrete neutron absorber is structured as a rod; characterized by a coating applied to at least one of an inside surface of the central opening of the annular fuel pellets and an outside surface of the discrete neutron absorber, opposite the inside surface, wherein the coating is of molybdenum or tungsten, and the coating has a thickness of 0.5 to 100 μm. a tubular cladding extending over the axial length and closed at a lower end by a bottom end plug and closed at an upper end by a top end plug; a stack of a plurality of fuel pellets occupying a lower portion of an interior of the cladding with at least some of the fuel pellets in the stack of fuel pellets having an annular shape with a central opening; and a discrete neutron absorber substantially occupying the central opening of at least some of the annular fuel pellets, and the discrete neutron absorber is free of fissile material and primarily comprised of boron or boron carbide, wherein the discrete neutron absorber is structured as a rod; characterized by a coating applied to at least one of an inside surface of the central opening of the annular fuel pellets and an outside surface of the discrete neutron absorber, opposite the inside surface, wherein the coating is of molybdenum or tungsten, and the coating has a thickness of 0.5 to 100 μm.