What Is Thorium Fuel Cycle The fertile material in the thorium fuel cycle is an isotope of thorium called 232Th, and the thorium fuel cycle itself is a kind of nuclear fuel cycle. Within the reactor, 232Th is converted into the fissile artificial uranium isotope 233U, which is then used as the fuel for the nuclear reactor. Natural thorium, in contrast to natural uranium, only contains minute quantities of fissile material, which is insufficient to kick off a nuclear chain reaction. In order to kickstart the fuel cycle, either more fissile material or an other neutron source is required. 233U is created when 232Th, which is powered by thorium, absorbs neutrons in a reactor. This is analogous to the process that occurs in uranium breeder reactors, in which fertile 238U is subjected to neutron absorption in order to produce fissile 239Pu. The produced 233U either fissions in situ or is chemically removed from the old nuclear fuel and converted into new nuclear fuel, depending on the architecture of the reactor and the fuel cycle. Fissioning in situ is the more efficient method. How You Will Benefit (I) Insights, and validations about the following topics: Chapter 1: Thorium fuel cycle Chapter 2: Nuclear reactor Chapter 3: Radioactive waste Chapter 4: Fissile material Chapter 5: Nuclear fuel cycle Chapter 6: MOX fuel Chapter 7: Breeder reactor Chapter 8: Uranium-238 Chapter 9: Energy amplifier Chapter 10: Subcritical reactor Chapter 11: Integral fast reactor Chapter 12: Fertile material Chapter 13: Uranium-233 Chapter 14: Plutonium-239 Chapter 15: Isotopes of uranium Chapter 16: Isotopes of plutonium Chapter 17: Weapons-grade nuclear material Chapter 18: Uranium-236 Chapter 19: Burnup Chapter 20: Liquid fluoride thorium reactor Chapter 21: Nuclear transmutation (II) Answering the public top questions about thorium fuel cycle. (III) Real world examples for the usage of thorium fuel cycle in many fields. (IV) 17 appendices to explain, briefly, 266 emerging technologies in each industry to have 360-degree full understanding of thorium fuel cycle' technologies. Who This Book Is For Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of thorium fuel cycle.