Uranium-235 is an isotope of uranium that differs from the element's other common isotope, uranium-238, by its ability to cause a rapidly expanding fission chain reaction, i.e., it is fissile. In fact, U-235 is the only fissile isotope found in nature. It was discovered in 1935 by Arthur Jeffrey Dempster. A uranium nucleus that absorbs a neutron splits into two lighter nuclei; this is called nuclear fission. It releases either two or three neutrons which continue the reaction. In nuclear reactors, the reaction is slowed down by the ad ...

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Enriched uranium is uranium whose uranium-235 content has been increased through the process of isotope separation. Natural uranium consists mostly of the 238U isotope, with about 0.7 percent by weight as 235U, the only isotope existing in nature in any appreciable amount that is fissionable by thermal neutrons. The ability to enrich uranium is one of the key factors in nuclear weapons proliferation. During the Manhattan Project enriched uranium was given the codename oralloy, a shortened ver ...

Including:

• Enriched uranium - Grades
• Enriched uranium - Highly enriched uranium HEU
• Enriched uranium - Low-enriched uranium LEU
• Enriched uranium - Slightly enriched uranium SEU
• Enriched uranium - Methods
• Enriched uranium - Thermal Diffusion
• Enriched uranium - Gaseous diffusion
• Enriched uranium - The Gas centrifuge
• Enriched uranium - The Zippe centrifuge
• Enriched uranium - Aerodynamic Processes
• Enriched uranium - Electromagnetic Isotope Separation
• Enriched uranium - Laser processes
• Enriched uranium - Chemical methods
• Enriched uranium - Plasma separation
• Enriched uranium - The SWU separative work unit
• Enriched uranium - Downblending

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1 Uranium ore - the principal raw material of nuclear fuel 2 Yellowcake - the form in which uranium is transported to an enrichement plant 3 UF6 - used in enrichement 4 Nuclear fuel - a compact, inert, insoluble solid Nuclear fuel cycle - Exploration. A deposit of uranium, discovered by geophysical techniques, is evaluated and sampled to determine the amounts of uranium materials that are extractable at specified costs from the deposit. Uraniu ...

See also:

Nuclear fuel cycle, Nuclear fuel cycle - Front end, Nuclear fuel cycle - Exploration, Nuclear fuel cycle - Mining, Nuclear fuel cycle - Milling, Nuclear fuel cycle - Uranium conversion, Nuclear fuel cycle - Enrichment, Nuclear fuel cycle - Fabrication, Nuclear fuel cycle - Service period, Nuclear fuel cycle - Transport of Radioactive Materials, Nuclear fuel cycle - In-core fuel management, Nuclear fuel cycle - On-Load Reactors, Nuclear fuel cycle - Back end, Nuclear fuel cycle - Interim Storage, Nuclear fuel cycle - Reprocessing, Nuclear fuel cycle - Waste disposal

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(106 watt) 2.5 MW - BioMed: Peak power output of a Blue Whale 3 MW - Tech: Mechanical power output of a diesel locomotive 10 MW - Tech: Highest ERP allowed for a UHF television station. 10.3 MW - Geo: Electrical power output of Togo 190 MW - Tech: peak power output of a Nimitz class aircraft carrier 900 MW - Tech: electric power output of a CANDU nuclear reactor 959 MW - Geo: average e ...

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Orders of magnitude power, Orders of magnitude power - Yoctowatt, Orders of magnitude power - Zeptowatt, Orders of magnitude power - Attowatt, Orders of magnitude power - Femtowatt, Orders of magnitude power - Picowatt, Orders of magnitude power - Nanowatt, Orders of magnitude power - Microwatt, Orders of magnitude power - Milliwatt, Orders of magnitude power - Watt, Orders of magnitude power - Kilowatt, Orders of magnitude power - Megawatt, Orders of magnitude power - Gigawatt, Orders of magnitude power - Terawatt, Orders of magnitude power - Petawatt, Orders of magnitude power - Exawatt, Orders of magnitude power - Zettawattt, Orders of magnitude power - Yottawatt, Orders of magnitude power - Greater than Yottawatt

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Atomic Energy of Canada Limited - 1940s. AECL traces its heritage to the Second World War when a joint Canadian-British nuclear research laboratory was established in Montreal in 1942, under the National Research Council of Canada to develop a design for a nuclear reactor. [1] In 1944, approval was given by the federal government to begin with construction of the ZEEP (Zero Energy Experimental Pile) reactor at the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories near Chalk River, Ontario, located on ...

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Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited - History, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited - 1940s, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited - 1950s, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited - 1960s, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited - 1970s, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited - 1980s, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited - 1990s - present, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited - External link

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Nuclear fuel - UOX. Nuclear fuel - MOX. Mixed oxide, or MOX fuel, is a blend of plutonium and natural or depleted uranium which behaves similarly (though not identically) to the enriched uranium feed for which most nuclear reactors were designed. MOX fuel is an alternative to Low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel used in the light water reactors which predominate nuclear power generation. An attraction of MOX fuel is that it is a way of disposing of surplus weapons-grad ...

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Nuclear fuel, Nuclear fuel - Production of common nuclear fuels, Nuclear fuel - Common chemical forms of nuclear fuel, Nuclear fuel - UOX, Nuclear fuel - MOX, Nuclear fuel - Spent fuel, Nuclear fuel - Common physical forms of nuclear fuel, Nuclear fuel - PWR fuel, Nuclear fuel - BWR fuel, Nuclear fuel - CANDU fuel, Nuclear fuel - Less common nuclear fuel forms, Nuclear fuel - RBMK fuel, Nuclear fuel - TRISO fuel compact, Nuclear fuel - CerMet fuel, Nuclear fuel - Plate type fuel, Nuclear fuel - TRIGA fuel, Nuclear fuel - Rarely used nuclear fuel, Nuclear fuel - Radioisotope Heating Units, Nuclear fuel - Liquid fuels, Nuclear fuel - Uranium Nitride, Nuclear fuel - Uranium Carbide, Nuclear fuel - Theoretically possible nuclear fuels, Nuclear fuel - Fusion fuels

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Opponents of nuclear power, such as Greenpeace, argue against its use due to issues like the long term problems of storing radioactive waste, the potential for severe radioactive contamination by an accident, and the possibility that its use will lead to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. They point to the nuclear accidents. According to a 1978 finding by the Supreme Court of the United States, comprehensive testing and study had not yet removed the risk of a major nuclear accident [47]. In the 1980s and 1990s each US nuclear plant ...

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Nuclear power, Nuclear power - History, Nuclear power - Origins, Nuclear power - Early years, Nuclear power - Development, Nuclear power - Current and planned use, Nuclear power - Reactor Types, Nuclear power - Current Technology, Nuclear power - Experimental Technologies, Nuclear power - Life cycle, Nuclear power - Fuel resources, Nuclear power - Reprocessing, Nuclear power - Solid waste, Nuclear power - Economy, Nuclear power - Capital costs, Nuclear power - Operating costs, Nuclear power - Subsidies, Nuclear power - Other economic issues, Nuclear power - Risks, Nuclear power - Accident or attack, Nuclear power - Air pollution, Nuclear power - Waste heat in water systems, Nuclear power - Health effect on population near nuclear plants, Nuclear power - Nuclear proliferation, Nuclear power - List of atomic energy groups, Nuclear power - USAEC/USNRC studies of risk at nuclear power plants

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In every nuclear reactor core there is both fission of isotopes such as uranium-235, and the formation of new, heavier isotopes due to neutron capture, primarily by U-238. Most of the fuel mass in a reactor is U-238. This can become plutonium-239 and by successive neutron capture Pu-240, Pu-241 and Pu-242 as well as other transuranic or actinide isotopes. Pu-239 is fissile, like U-235. (Small quantities of U-236 and Pu- ...

See also:

MOX fuel, MOX fuel - Overview, MOX fuel - Current applications, MOX fuel - Fabrication, MOX fuel - Reference

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Nuclear power - Current Technology. There are two types of nuclear power sources in current use: The nuclear fission reactor produces heat through a controlled nuclear chain reaction in a critical mass of fissile material. All current nuclear power plants are critical fission reactors, which are the focus of this article. The output of fission reactors is controllable. There are several subtypes of critical fission reactors. All reactors will be compared to the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR ...

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Nuclear power, Nuclear power - History, Nuclear power - Origins, Nuclear power - Early years, Nuclear power - Development, Nuclear power - Current and planned use, Nuclear power - Reactor Types, Nuclear power - Current Technology, Nuclear power - Experimental Technologies, Nuclear power - Life cycle, Nuclear power - Fuel resources, Nuclear power - Reprocessing, Nuclear power - Solid waste, Nuclear power - Economy, Nuclear power - Capital costs, Nuclear power - Operating costs, Nuclear power - Subsidies, Nuclear power - Other economic issues, Nuclear power - Risks, Nuclear power - Accident or attack, Nuclear power - Air pollution, Nuclear power - Waste heat in water systems, Nuclear power - Health effect on population near nuclear plants, Nuclear power - Nuclear proliferation, Nuclear power - List of atomic energy groups

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The mere fact that an assembly is supercritical does not guarantee that it contains any free neutrons at all. At least one neutron is required to "strike" a chain reaction, and if the spontaneous fission rate is sufficiently low it may take a long time (in 235U reactors, as long as many minutes) before a chance neutron encounter starts a chain reaction even if the reactor is supercritical. Most nuclear reactors include a "starter" neutron source that ensures there are always a few free neutrons in the reactor core, so that a chain ...

See also:

Nuclear reactor physics, Nuclear reactor physics - Starter sources, Nuclear reactor physics - Moderators and reactor design, Nuclear reactor physics - Long-lived poisons and fuel reprocessing, Nuclear reactor physics - Short-lived poisons and controllability

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While almost all plutonium is manufactured synthetically, extremely tiny trace amounts are found naturally in uranium ores. These come about by a process of neutron capture by 238U nuclei, initially forming 239U; two subsequent beta decays then form 239Pu (with a 239Np intermediary), which has a half-life of 24,100 years. This is also the process used to manufacture 239Pu in nuclear reactors. Some traces of 244Pu remain from the birth of the solar system from waste of supernovae, because its ha ...

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Plutonium, Plutonium - Notable characteristics, Plutonium - Applications, Plutonium - History, Plutonium - Occurrence, Plutonium - Manufacture, Plutonium - Compounds, Plutonium - Allotropes, Plutonium - Isotopes, Plutonium - Precautions

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All isotopes and compounds of plutonium are toxic and radioactive. While plutonium is sometimes described in media reports as "the most toxic substance known to man", there is general agreement among experts in the field that this is incorrect. As of 2003, there has yet to be a single human death officially attributed to plutonium exposure. Naturally-occurring radium is about 200 times more radiotoxic than plutonium, and some organic toxins like Botulin toxin are still more toxic. Botulin toxin, in particular, has ...

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Plutonium, Plutonium - Notable characteristics, Plutonium - Applications, Plutonium - History, Plutonium - Occurrence, Plutonium - Manufacture, Plutonium - Compounds, Plutonium - Allotropes, Plutonium - Isotopes, Plutonium - Precautions

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List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors. Beaver Valley, Pennsylvania Calvert Cliffs, Maryland Connecticut Yankee, Connecticut (Decommissioned) FitzPatrick, New York Ginna, New York Hope Creek, New Jersey Indian Point, New York Limerick, Pennsylvania Maine Yankee, Maine (Decommissioned) Millstone, Connecticut Nine Mile Point, New York Oyster Creek, New Jersey Peach Bottom, Pennsylvani ...

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List of nuclear reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Algeria, List of nuclear reactors - Antarctica, List of nuclear reactors - Argentina, List of nuclear reactors - Armenia, List of nuclear reactors - Australia, List of nuclear reactors - Austria, List of nuclear reactors - Bangladesh, List of nuclear reactors - Belarus, List of nuclear reactors - Belgium, List of nuclear reactors - Brazil, List of nuclear reactors - Bulgaria, List of nuclear reactors - Canada, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors 18, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - China, List of nuclear reactors - Colombia, List of nuclear reactors - Democratic Republic of the Congo, List of nuclear reactors - Cuba, List of nuclear reactors - Czech Republic, List of nuclear reactors - Denmark, List of nuclear reactors - Egypt, List of nuclear reactors - Estonia, List of nuclear reactors - Finland, List of nuclear reactors - France, List of nuclear reactors - Germany, List of nuclear reactors - Greece, List of nuclear reactors - Hungary, List of nuclear reactors - India, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors [6], List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Indonesia, List of nuclear reactors - Iran, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Iraq, List of nuclear reactors - Italy, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Israel, List of nuclear reactors - Jamaica, List of nuclear reactors - Japan, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Kazakhstan, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Latvia, List of nuclear reactors - Libya, List of nuclear reactors - Lithuania, List of nuclear reactors - Malaysia, List of nuclear reactors - Mexico, List of nuclear reactors - Morocco, List of nuclear reactors - Netherlands, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - North Korea, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Norway, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Pakistan, List of nuclear reactors - Panama, List of nuclear reactors - Philippines, List of nuclear reactors - Puerto Rico, List of nuclear reactors - Romania, List of nuclear reactors - Power stations, List of nuclear reactors - Fuel Factory, List of nuclear reactors - Research, List of nuclear reactors - Russia, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Slovakia, List of nuclear reactors - Slovenia, List of nuclear reactors - Spain, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - South Africa, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - South Korea, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Syria, List of nuclear reactors - Sweden, List of nuclear reactors - Power Station Reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Switzerland, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Taiwan, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Thailand, List of nuclear reactors - Turkey, List of nuclear reactors - Ukraine, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - United Kingdom, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - United States of America, List of nuclear reactors - Power station reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Plutonium production reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Army Nuclear Power Program, List of nuclear reactors - Research reactors, List of nuclear reactors - Links, List of nuclear reactors - Uruguay, List of nuclear reactors - Uzbekistan, List of nuclear reactors - Venezuela, List of nuclear reactors - Vietnam

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Isotope separation is a difficult and energy intensive activity. Enriching uranium is difficult because the two isotopes are very similar in weight: 235U is only 1.26% lighter than 238U. Several production techniques applied to enrichment have been used, and several are under investigation. In general these methods exploit the slight differences in atomic weights of the various isotopes. Some work is being done that would use nuclear resonance however it is not certain if any of these ...

See also:

Enriched uranium, Enriched uranium - Grades, Enriched uranium - Highly enriched uranium HEU, Enriched uranium - Low-enriched uranium LEU, Enriched uranium - Slightly enriched uranium SEU, Enriched uranium - Methods, Enriched uranium - Thermal Diffusion, Enriched uranium - Gaseous diffusion, Enriched uranium - The Gas centrifuge, Enriched uranium - The Zippe centrifuge, Enriched uranium - Aerodynamic Processes, Enriched uranium - Electromagnetic Isotope Separation, Enriched uranium - Laser processes, Enriched uranium - Chemical methods, Enriched uranium - Plasma separation, Enriched uranium - The SWU separative work unit, Enriched uranium - Downblending

Read more here: » Enriched uranium: Encyclopedia II - Enriched uranium - Methods

Canada has long been closely linked with the United States' nuclear weapons program. The Manhattan Project was the product of a secret agreement between the USA, Canada and the UK, signed in Québec city in August 1943. Canada contributed help from Canadian scientists, policy supervision by C.D. Howe and uranium from Canadian mines (other uranium sources included the American Southwest and the Belgian Congo). Since Canada had just become the recipient of the world's supply of heavy water, it was also hoped that Canada could manufacture pluto ...

See also:

Canada and weapons of mass destruction, Canada and weapons of mass destruction - Nuclear weapons, Canada and weapons of mass destruction - Chemical weapons, Canada and weapons of mass destruction - Biological weapons, Canada and weapons of mass destruction - Disarmament, Canada and weapons of mass destruction - External References

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(see also energy development, future energy development and renewable energy development) Nuclear energy use has been growing steadily since the 1970s and the early 1980s. The growth slowed in the 1980s because of environmentalist opposition, high interest rates, and energy conservation prompted by the oil shock in 1973, and the energy crisis in 1979 and the accidents at Three Mile Island in 1979 and Chernobyl [1]. Several countries, especially European countries have abandoned the use of nuclear energy since then. [2] In 2000, there were 438 commercial nuclear generat ...

See also:

Nuclear energy policy, Nuclear energy policy - International use of nuclear energy, Nuclear energy policy - Africa, Nuclear energy policy - Asia, Nuclear energy policy - Oceania, Nuclear energy policy - Europe, Nuclear energy policy - North America, Nuclear energy policy - South America, Nuclear energy policy - Nuclear power phase-out, Nuclear energy policy - Discussion of nuclear energy, Nuclear energy policy - Arguments against nuclear energy, Nuclear energy policy - Arguments for nuclear energy, Nuclear energy policy - Further Readings

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Essentially all existing nuclear reactors are critical fission reactors that produce heat and neutrons through a nuclear fission chain reaction in which nuclei of nuclear fuel are impacted by free neutrons, causing them to break apart (fission). In turn, these fission events yield more free neutrons which carry on to induce more fission events. The resulting nuclear fragments (fission products) are released with large amounts of kinetic energy that converts rapidly into heat. For details, see the a ...

See also:

Nuclear reactor, Nuclear reactor - Applications, Nuclear reactor - History, Nuclear reactor - The future of the industry, Nuclear reactor - Method of operation, Nuclear reactor - Reactor design, Nuclear reactor - Safety, Nuclear reactor - Types of reactors, Nuclear reactor - Current families of reactors, Nuclear reactor - Obsolescent types still in service, Nuclear reactor - Other types of reactors, Nuclear reactor - Advanced reactors, Nuclear reactor - Generation IV reactors, Nuclear reactor - Nuclear fuel cycle, Nuclear reactor - Fueling of nuclear reactors, Nuclear reactor - Waste management, Nuclear reactor - Natural nuclear reactors, Nuclear reactor - Related articles, Nuclear reactor - References and links

Read more here: » Nuclear reactor: Encyclopedia II - Nuclear reactor - Method of operation

Gadolinium is a silvery white, malleable and ductile rare earth metal with a metallic luster. It crystallizes in hexagonal, close-packed alpha form at room temperature; when heated to 1508 K, it transforms into its beta form, which has a body-centered cubic structure. Unlike other rare earth elements, gadolinium is relatively stable in dry air; however, it tarnishes quickly in moist air and forms a loosely adhering oxide that spalls off and exposes more surface to oxidation. Gadolinium r ...

See also:

Gadolinium, Gadolinium - Notable characteristics, Gadolinium - Applications, Gadolinium - History, Gadolinium - Biological role, Gadolinium - Occurrence, Gadolinium - Compounds, Gadolinium - Isotopes, Gadolinium - Precautions

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FBRs have been built and operated in the USA, the UK, France, the former USSR, India and Japan. As of 2004, a prototype FBR was under construction in China, while another experimental FBR in Germany was built but never operated. On December 20, 1951, the fast reactor EBR-I (Experimental Breeder Reactor-1) at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho produced enough electricity to power four light bulbs, and the next day produced enough power to run the entire EBR-I building. This ...

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Fast breeder reactor, Fast breeder reactor - FBR generating plants, Fast breeder reactor - Future plants, Fast breeder reactor - Economics, Fast breeder reactor - Proliferation, Fast breeder reactor - Associated reactor types

Read more here: » Fast breeder reactor: Encyclopedia II - Fast breeder reactor - FBR generating plants

Nuclear fission reactors run on nuclear chain reactions, in which each nucleus that undergoes fission releases heat and neutrons. These neutrons may impact another nucleus and cause it to undergo fission. The velocity of this neutron affects its probability of causing additional fission, as does the presence of neutron-absorbing material. In particular, slow neutrons are more easily absorbed by fissile nuclei than fast neutrons, so a neutron moderator which slows neutrons will increase the thermal output of a nuclear reactor. A neutron absorber will decrease the thermal output of a nuclear reactor. These two mechanisms are used t ...

See also:

Void coefficient, Void coefficient - Explanation, Void coefficient - Reactor designs

Read more here: » Void coefficient: Encyclopedia II - Void coefficient - Explanation