Project Spotlight: Mixed Oxide Fuel (MOX)

Project Spotlight: MOX Service Project

By: Erik Kane | On: August 18, 2017

We are proud to announce that we are an approved supplier

Hose Master designs and manufactures flexible metal components for a variety of industries, but power generation is one of the most prominent. A renaissance of nuclear fuel recycling technology has recently made waves in the power generation industry, and Hose Master has been audited and certified to work as a supplier on the CB&I project for a new MOX fuel fabrication facility in South Carolina. The facility is a first-of-a-kind venture in the United States for the mass production of MOX fuel.

So what is MOX?

Radio-active fuel synthesized for power generation is not the same as the material that goes into a warhead. In an effort that goes hand-in-hand with nuclear disarmament policies, the United States and Russia have both begun to disarm and repurpose their weapons-grade plutonium and uranium to be used peacefully in commercial power generation. Each nation has implemented its own method for doing so, and in the United States the focus is on a technology called MOX, which stands for “mixed oxide fuel.” The ‘mixed oxide’ refers to the mixing of plutonium and uranium, and differs from standard power generation which typically uses only enriched uranium. MOX fuel is not a new technology and has been around since the 1960’s, but was previously not commercially viable and is only recently seeing more widespread attention in the nuclear market.

Why is it important?

As time moves on, technologies and markets are increasingly interested in alternative energy sources to fossil fuels. This trend isn’t new of course, and has been a social issue for many years. But as global awareness has continued to rise, the need for change has become more compelling. Changes in technologies and availability of resources related to natural gas have led to the dethroning of King Coal for the first time in history. Green energy technologies such as solar and wind have become more economically viable and widespread utilization is now possible. Modern appliances are using energy more efficiently than before, and changing energy demands from consumers affects the industry as a whole.

While nuclear power isn’t considered green in the conventional sense, it is extremely clean in comparison to coal and other fossil fuels. Innovations that can allow us to use these materials for clean power generation give us positive alternatives to traditional nuclear disposal and carbon-heavy emission power generation. The result is a big step towards using our existing resources and further developing current technologies in ways that will benefit us in the future.

Hose Master remains ‘mission critical’

Metal hose is often reserved for the most demanding applications. Due to challenges in manufacturing and the cost of its construction, most people would refrain from using a metal hose unless it’s absolutely necessary. Because the largest concerns in the nuclear energy industry are related to the stability and reliable operation of these facilities (to avoid the potential consequences), we are proud to be a trusted partner for this project and look forward to contributing to this innovative program. If you have a project that requires mission critical piping components, give Hose Master a call at 800-221-2319 or 1-216-481-2020 or send us an e-mail to insidesales@hosemaster.com and let our engineers assist you in your application.