SRS produced the Pu-239 from a combination of uranium-235 (U-235) and U-238 in the reactors ... Next, the nuclear reaction products were chemically separated by means of the plutonium-uranium ...

It either must be enriched—made more concentrated in a rare form of uranium (U-235)—or converted into plutonium (Pu-239). Heavy water can play a role in breeding weapons-grade plutonium from ...

is harder to use for weapons purposes than uranium-235 or plutonium-239. This means there is less of a risk its wider use will pose a proliferation risk. The thorium fuel cycle also produces less ...

Because plutonium-239 self destructs, undergoing radioactive decay by spitting out a highly energetic alpha-particle to produce Uranium-235. But as the alpha-particle leaves it causes the uranium ...