GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Detailed explanation-1: -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.

Detailed explanation-2: -Fertile materials are not fissionable by thermal neutrons but it can be converted into fissile material by neutron transmutation and subsequent nuclear decay. The process of transmutation of fertile materials into fissile materials is referred to as fuel breeding.

Detailed explanation-3: -Breeder Reactors There is a special type of reactor that makes use of fertile isotopes to create nuclear fuel. These reactors are known as breeder reactors as they irradiate a fertile isotope inside of the reactor, causing the isotope to absorb a neutron and decay to a fissile isotope.

Detailed explanation-4: -The terms fissile isotope and fertile isotope are used mainly in nuclear chemistry. The key difference between fissile and fertile isotopes is that fissile isotopes are material that can undergo fission reaction, whereas a fertile isotope is a material that can be converted into a fissile isotope.

Detailed explanation-5: -The fertile materials partially replace fissile materials that are destroyed by fission, thus permitting the reactor to run longer before the amount of fissile material decreases to the point where criticality is no longer manageable.