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. <EOS>