What are nuclear fuels made up of?

These fuels are fissile, and the most common nuclear fuels are the radioactive metals uranium-235 and plutonium-239. All processes involved in obtaining, refining, and using this fuel make up a cycle known as the nuclear fuel cycle. Uranium-235 is used as a fuel in different concentrations.

1. What are nuclear fuels made of?
2. What are the two main nuclear fuels?
3. Is uranium the only nuclear fuel?

What are nuclear fuels made of?

Used nuclear fuel is a complex mixture of the fission products, uranium, plutonium, and the transplutonium metals. In fuel which has been used at high temperature in power reactors it is common for the fuel to be heterogeneous; often the fuel will contain nanoparticles of platinum group metals such as palladium.

What are the two main nuclear fuels?

The main nuclear fuels are uranium and plutonium.

Is uranium the only nuclear fuel?

Today the only substantial use for uranium is as fuel in nuclear reactors, mostly for electricity generation. Uranium-235 is the only naturally-occurring material which can sustain a fission chain reaction, releasing large amounts of energy.