Nuclear fuel

Nuclear fuel is a material that can be consumed in a nuclear reaction to produce nuclear energy, by analogy to chemical fuel that is burned for energy. Nuclear fuels are the most dense sources of energy available. 

Most nuclear fuels contain heavy fissile elements. When their nucleus splits they emit enough neutrons to split others in a nuclear chain-reaction. The most common nuclear fuels are uranium and plutonium. Uranium is natural, but plutonium is made in a breeder reactor. 

Some nuclear fuels are not used in a nuclear reactor. They power radioisotope thermoelectric generators.

Notes

Related pages
MOX fuel

Category:Nuclear energy