| Webster's Online Dictionary |
| Expressions | Definition | ||
| Fertile material | Fertile material is a term used to describe nuclides which generally themselves do not undergo induced fission (fissionable by thermal neutrons) but from which fissile material is generated by neutron absorption and subsequent nuclei conversions. Fertile materials that can be converted into a fissile material by irradiation in a reactor are: thorium-232 which can be converted into fissionable uranium-233, and uranium-238 which can be converted into fissionable plutonium-239. (references) | ||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | Top | ||
| Expressions | Domain | Definition | |
| Fertile material | Energy | 1: A material, which is not itself fissile (fissionable by thermal neutrons), that can be converted into a fissile material by irradiation in a reactor. There are two basic fertile materials, uranium-238 and thorium-232. When these fertile materials capture neutrons, they are converted into fissile plutonium-239 and uranium-233, respectively. (references) | |
| 2: Material that is not itself fissionable by thermal neutrons but can be converted to fissile material by irradiation. The two principal fertile materials are uranium-238 and thorium-232. (references) | |||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | Top | ||
