Nuclear fuel

Nuclear fuel is material that releases usable energy through nuclear reactions. Fission fuels include fissile heavy nuclei; proposed fusion fuels are light nuclei that can combine.

Nuclear fission: A nuclear reaction in which an atomic nucleus splits into smaller nuclei, releasing energy and often neutrons. Fission is the energy-releasing process used by most operating nuclear reactors.
Fissile: Describes a nuclide capable of sustaining fission with neutrons of low kinetic energy. The term distinguishes fuels that can support common thermal-reactor chain reactions.
Nuclear reactor: A system that sustains and controls nuclear fission to produce heat or radiation for useful purposes. Reactors contain fuel and convert its nuclear energy into controlled heat.
Thorium fuel cycle: A nuclear fuel cycle that converts thorium-232 into fissile uranium-233 through neutron absorption and radioactive decay. It offers a fertile-material route distinct from uranium-based fuel cycles.
Nuclear fusion: A nuclear reaction in which light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing energy under suitable conditions. Fusion fuels release energy by combining rather than splitting nuclei.
Fertile material: Material that can absorb neutrons and transform into a fissile nuclide, but cannot itself sustain fission with low-energy neutrons. Fertile materials can become reactor fuel after neutron capture and nuclear decay.
Nuclear fuel cycle: The sequence of processes that prepares nuclear fuel, uses it in a reactor, and manages or reuses it afterward. Fuel's use begins before reactor loading and continues through spent-fuel management.
Nuclear fusion fuel: Light isotopes used or proposed for fusion reactions, including deuterium and tritium. Fusion fuel consists of light nuclei, unlike the heavy fissile materials used in fission reactors.
Fissile material: Material containing nuclei that can sustain a chain reaction after absorbing low-energy neutrons. This identifies the fuel property that enables many reactors to maintain fission.
Uranium-235: A naturally occurring uranium isotope that is fissile and used as fuel in nuclear reactors. It is the principal fissile isotope in most commercial uranium fuel.

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