Fertile material

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Non-fissionable material from which fissionable material is generated by neutron absorption and subsequent nuclei conversions. Fertile materials are thorium-232 which can be converted into fissionable uranium-233, and uranium-238 which can be converted into fissionable plutonium-239.

Th-232 + n -> Th-233 -> Pa-233 -> U-233
U-238 + n -> U-239 -> Np-239 -> Pu-239.

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