In this note, we are going to learn about Fertile Materials, also about its characteristics, examples, and uses as well. Welcome to Poly Notes Hub, a leading destination for engineering notes for diploma and degree engineering students.
Author Name: Arun Paul.
What is Fertile Materials?
Fertile materials are nuclear materials that are not capable of sustaining a nuclear fission chain reaction but can be transformed into fissile materials by neutron capture and other nuclear processes. These elements are critical for the production of fissile materials in nuclear reactors.
Characteristics of this material
- It can absorb a neutron to form a new nucleus.
- These materials are converted into fissile isotopes.
- These materials follows neutron capture and decay processes.
Examples of Fertile Materials
Here are some examples of this type of materials –
- Uranium 238 (U 238): It is the most abundant isotope of natural uranium (about 99.3%) and it can capture a neutron to form Plutonium 239 (Pu 239) which is a fissile material.
- Thorium 232 (Th 232): It is abundant and widely distributed material and it is also can capture a neutron to form Uranium 233 (U 233) which is a fissile material.
Applications of Fertile Materials
Here are some applications of this type of materials –
- Used in Breeder Reactors.
- Also used in Thorium Fuel Cycle and Fuel Sustainability.